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doradille chevelue, maidenhair spleenwort

Roots

not proliferous.

Stems

short-creeping, often branched;

scales black throughout or with brown borders, lanceolate, 2–5 × 0.2–0.5 mm, margins entire to denticulate.

Leaves

monomorphic.

Petiole

reddish brown or blackish brown throughout, lustrous, 1–4(–7) cm, 1/6–1/4 length of blade;

indument absent or of black, linear-lanceolate or filiform scales at base.

Blade

linear, 1-pinnate, 3–22 × 0.5–1.5 cm, thin, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

base gradually tapered;

apex narrowly acute, not rooting.

Pinnae

in 15–35 pairs, oblong to oval;

medial pinnae 2.5–8 × 2.5–4 mm;

base broadly cuneate, with or without low, rounded acroscopic auricle;

margins shallowly crenate to serrate or ± entire;

apex obtuse.

Veins

free, evident.

Sori

2–4 pairs per pinna, on both basiscopic and acroscopic sides.

Spores

64 per sporangium.

Rachis

reddish brown throughout, lustrous, glabrous or nearly so.

2n

= 72, 144.

Asplenium trichomanes

Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DE; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; Worldwide
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In North America, as in Europe, Asplenium trichomanes consists of diploid and tetraploid cytotypes, treated here as subspecies. Asplenium trichomanes subsp. trichomanes, the diploid, is found on noncalcareous rocks. In the southwestern United States it occurs at high elevations. Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens, the tetraploid, grows on calcareous substrates and has a more northern distribution (R. C. Moran 1982). Triploid hybrids are known between the diploids and tetraploids (R. C. Moran 1982; W. H. Wagner Jr. and F. S. Wagner 1966).

Subspecies 4 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Spores 27-32 µm; on acidic substrates.
subsp. trichomanes
1. Spores 37-43 µm; on limestone.
subsp. quadrivalens
Source FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa 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. palmeri, A. pinnatifidum, A. platyneuron, A. plenum, A. pumilum, A. resiliens, A. rhizophyllum, A. ruta-muraria, A. scolopendrium, A. septentrionale, A. serratum, A. trichomanes-dentatum, A. trichomanes-ramosum, A. verecundum, A. vespertinum, A. ×biscayneanum, A. ×curtissii, A. ×heteroresiliens
Subordinate taxa
A. trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens, A. trichomanes subsp. trichomanes
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1080. (1753)
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