Asplenium trichomanes
Asplenium montanum
doradille chevelue, maidenhair spleenwort
mountain spleenwort
not proliferous.
proliferous.
short-creeping, often branched;
scales black throughout or with brown borders, lanceolate, 2–5 × 0.2–0.5 mm, margins entire to denticulate.
horizontal, often arching upward, unbranched (although clusters of stems often form from root proliferations, giving false appearance of single much-branched stem);
scales dark brown throughout, narrowly deltate, 2–4 × 0.2–0.4 mm, margins entire.
monomorphic.
monomorphic.
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.
dark brown to purplish black, lustrous proximally, fading to green distally, 2–11 cm, 1/2–1 1/2 length of blade;
indument of blackish, narrowly lanceolate scales only at very base and of minute hairs.
linear, 1-pinnate, 3–22 × 0.5–1.5 cm, thin, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;
base gradually tapered;
apex narrowly acute, not rooting.
deltate to lanceolate, 1–2-pinnate-pinnatifid, 2–11 × 1–7(–10) cm, thick, essentially glabrous;
base truncate or obtuse;
apex acuminate to acute, not rooting.
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.
in 4–10 pairs, deltate to lanceolate;
proximal (longest) pinnae 6–35 × 4–20 mm;
base obtuse to acute;
margins coarsely incised;
apex acute to rounded.
free, evident.
free, obscure.
2–4 pairs per pinna, on both basiscopic and acroscopic sides.
1–15 per pinna, on both basiscopic and acroscopic sides.
64 per sporangium.
64 per sporangium.
reddish brown throughout, lustrous, glabrous or nearly so.
green throughout, dull, sparsely pubescent.
= 72, 144.
= 72.
Asplenium trichomanes
Asplenium montanum
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.)
Asplenium montanum occurs principally in the Appalachian region, with outlying localities in the Shawnee Hills of western Kentucky (R. Cranfill 1980) and adjacent Indiana (D. M. Smith 1956). A report of its disjunct occurrence on the northern edge of the Ozarks is based on a single specimen whose label indicates the collection locality near Graham Cave, Montgomery County, Missouri. Efforts by several botanists to relocate the population have failed. Reports of a disjunct station in the upper peninsula of Michigan are doubtful.
Asplenium montanum is an ecological specialist. It is typically the sole vascular plant species in the siliceous rock crevices in which it is found. It may occur, however, with two allotetraploid species, A. bradleyi and A. pinnatifidum, which were derived from hybrids of A. montanum with A. platyneuron and A. rhizophyllum, respectively. In addition, A. montanum crosses frequently with A. pinnatifidum producing A. × trudellii and rarely with allotetraploid individuals of A. bradleyi producing A. × wherryi.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Spores 27-32 µm; on acidic substrates. | subsp. trichomanes |
1. Spores 37-43 µm; on limestone. | subsp. quadrivalens |
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