Flora of North America species comparison

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Asplenium monanthes

Asplenium ×curtissii

single-sorus fern, single-sorus spleenwort

Curtiss' spleenwort, spleenwort
Roots

not proliferous.

proliferous.
Stems

erect, unbranched;

scales black with lighter margins, linear-lanceolate, 3–6 × 0.4–0.8 mm, margins entire.

erect, unbranched;

scales blackish throughout, narrowly deltate, 1 × 0.2 mm, margins entire.
Leaves

monomorphic.

monomorphic.
Petiole

reddish brown throughout, lustrous, 1–12(–20) cm, 1/3–1/10 length of blade;

indument of black filiform scales.

brownish black, 3–10(–15) cm, 1/3–2/5 length of blade;

indument of blackish, narrowly lanceolate scales at base.
Blade

linear, 1-pinnate throughout, 5–25(–40) × 1–2.5(–3) cm, thick, glabrous;

base gradually tapered;

apex acute, not rooting.

oblong-lanceolate, 2-pinnate, 10–30 × (1.5–)5–10 cm, thin, glabrous;

base not or only slightly tapered;

apex gradually narrowing, not rooting.
Pinnae

in 10–40 pairs, oblong to quadrangular, somewhat asymmetric;

medial pinnae 4–15 × 2–5 mm;

base rounded to cuneate;

margins crenulate or ± entire;

apex obtuse.

in (7–)14–22 pairs, oblong;

medial pinnae 1–6 × 0.5–1.5 cm;

base truncate;

apex pointed.
Veins

free, obscure.

free, evident.
Sori

1(–3) per pinna, only on basiscopic side.

1–4 per segment, usually more on acroscopic side.
Spores

32 per sporangium.

abortive.
Rachis

reddish brown throughout, lustrous, glabrous.

blackish to green, dull, nearly glabrous.
n

= 2n = 108 (apogamous).

Pinnules

linear to fan-shaped to unequally pinnate, 3–9 × 1–7 mm, mostly notched apically.
2n

= 108.

Asplenium monanthes

Asplenium ×curtissii
Habitat Rock Shaded damp limestone rocks
Elevation 50–1000 m (200–3300 ft) 0–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; NC; SC; HI; Mexico; Central America; West Indies in Hispaniola; Jamaica; South America to n Argentina; Africa including Madagascar; Madeira; Réunion; Tristan da Cunha
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Asplenium × curtissii, sterile and with irregular meiosis, is the product of hybridization between A. abscissum and A. verecundum and occurs with them in central Florida, sometimes forming large colonies by root proliferation. It can readily be separated from A. abscissum by its pinnate blades. From A. verecundum it can be distinguished by its relatively long petioles and less divided blades. Asplenium × curtissi is known only from several localities in north central Florida. It makes a showy conservatory plant.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Aspleniaceae > Asplenium Aspleniaceae > Asplenium
Sibling taxa
A. abscissum, A. adiantum-nigrum, A. adulterinum, A. auritum, A. bradleyi, A. cristatum, A. dalhousiae, A. ebenoides, A. exiguum, A. heterochroum, A. montanum, A. palmeri, A. pinnatifidum, A. platyneuron, A. plenum, A. pumilum, A. resiliens, A. rhizophyllum, A. ruta-muraria, A. scolopendrium, A. septentrionale, A. serratum, A. trichomanes, A. trichomanes-dentatum, A. trichomanes-ramosum, A. verecundum, A. vespertinum, A. ×biscayneanum, A. ×curtissii, A. ×heteroresiliens
A. abscissum, A. adiantum-nigrum, A. adulterinum, A. auritum, A. bradleyi, A. cristatum, A. dalhousiae, A. ebenoides, A. exiguum, A. heterochroum, A. monanthes, A. montanum, A. palmeri, A. pinnatifidum, A. platyneuron, A. plenum, A. pumilum, A. resiliens, A. rhizophyllum, A. ruta-muraria, A. scolopendrium, A. septentrionale, A. serratum, A. trichomanes, A. trichomanes-dentatum, A. trichomanes-ramosum, A. verecundum, A. vespertinum, A. ×biscayneanum, A. ×heteroresiliens
Name authority Linnaeus: Mant. Pl. 1: 130. (1767) Linnaeus: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 33: 194. (1906)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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