Adiantum aleuticum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iWestern Maidenhair Fern
Western Maidenhair (Adiantum aleuticum)
Western Maidenhair (Adiantum aleuticum)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pteridophyta
Class: Pteridopsida
Order: Pteridales
Family: Adiantaceae
Genus: Adiantum
Species: A. aleuticum
Binomial name
Adiantum aleuticum
(Rupr.) Parris

Adiantum aleuticum (Western Maidenhair Fern) is a species of fern in the genus Adiantum, native mainly to western North America from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, south to Chihuahua, and also locally in northeastern North America from Newfoundland south to Maryland.

The fronds grow to 15-110 cm high, and are fan-shaped, light to medium green with dark brown to black stems. It prefers fertile, moist soil in rock crevices near streams, from sea level in the north of its range, up to 3,200 m altitude in the south of its range. It tolerates serpentine rock well, and is confined to this mineral-rich rock in some areas.

Other common names include Serpentine Maidenhair, Aleutian Maidenhair, and Five-fingered Fern.

[edit] References