Flora of North America species comparison

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Asplenium palmeri

Asplenium ×curtissii

Palmer's spleenwort

Curtiss' spleenwort, spleenwort
Roots

not proliferous.

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

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, 7–17.5 × 0.9–1.8 cm, thick, glabrous;

base gradually reduced;

apex gradually reduced to whiplike rooting tip.

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 (12–)20–40 pairs, oblong;

medial pinnae 6–9 × 3–4 mm;

base broadly cuneate or auriculate;

margins crenate-serrate;

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

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

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

64 per sporangium.

abortive.
Rachis

purplish black throughout, lustrous, glabrous or nearly so.

blackish to green, dull, nearly glabrous.
Pinnules

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

= 108.

Asplenium palmeri

Asplenium ×curtissii
Habitat Shaded rocky slopes, wet ledges, often in protected places Shaded damp limestone rocks
Elevation 900–2000(–2750) m (3000–6600(–9000) ft) 0–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico; Central America in Guatemala; Belize
[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. 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. 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 Maxon: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 13: 39. (1909) 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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