The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Palmer's spleenwort

Countess dalhousie's spleenwort

Roots

not proliferous.

not proliferous.

Stems

short-creeping, unbranched;

scales black with lighter margins, linear-lanceolate, 1.5–3 × 0.1–0.4 mm, margins entire.

erect, unbranched;

scales black with brown margins, lanceolate, 2–5 × 0.6–1 mm, sparsely denticulate.

Leaves

monomorphic.

monomorphic.

Petiole

purplish black, lustrous, 0.5–3 cm, 1/3–1/20 length of blade;

indument of black filiform scales at base.

dark to light brown throughout, dull, to 1 cm, 1/10–1/15 length of blade, indument of scales throughout.

Blade

linear, 1-pinnate throughout, 7–17.5 × 0.9–1.8 cm, thick, glabrous;

base gradually reduced;

apex gradually reduced to whiplike rooting tip.

narrowly elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, pinnatifid, 4–15 × 1.5–6 cm, thick, sparsely puberulent to glabrescent;

base gradually tapered;

apex obtuse, not rooting.

Pinnae

in (12–)20–40 pairs, oblong;

medial pinnae 6–9 × 3–4 mm;

base broadly cuneate or auriculate;

margins crenate-serrate;

apex obtuse.

Veins

free, obscure.

free, obscure.

Sori

3–7 pairs per pinna, on both basiscopic and acroscopic sides.

3–7 pairs per pinna, on both basiscopic and acroscopic sides of lobes.

Spores

64 per sporangium.

64 per sporangium.

Rachis

purplish black throughout, lustrous, glabrous or nearly so.

light brown to tan, dull-scaly;

scales brown, lanceolate.

2n

= 72.

Asplenium palmeri

Asplenium dalhousiae

Habitat Shaded rocky slopes, wet ledges, often in protected places Moist, rocky ravines, terrestrial among and at bases of rocks
Elevation 900–2000(–2750) m (3000–6600(–9000) ft) 1300–2000 m (4300–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico; Central America in Guatemala; Belize
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; n Mexico; Asia in the Himalayas
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In the flora, Asplenium dalhousiae is found only in the Mule, Huachuca, and Baboquivari mountains of southern Arizona. The pattern of disjunction in the worldwide range of this species is highly unusual.

Asplenium dalhousiae is sometimes placed in the genus Ceterach on the basis of its thick, pinnatifid leaves. Most pteridologists, however, restrict Ceterach to species with densely scaly, pinnatifid leaves. Asplenium dalhousiae is placed in Ceterachopsis by pteridologists who believe it merits its own genus.

(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. monanthes, A. montanum, 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. 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. ×curtissii, A. ×heteroresiliens
Synonyms Ceterach dalhousiae, Ceterachopsis dalhousiae
Name authority Maxon: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 13: 39. (1909) Hooker: Icon. Pl. plate 105. (1837)
Web links