Hart's-tongue fern

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iHart's-tongue Fern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Pteridophyta Class: Pteridopsida Order: Aspleniales Family: Aspleniaceae Genus: Asplenium Species: A. scolopendrium
Binomial name
Asplenium scolopendrium L.

Hart's-tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium, syn. Phyllitis scolopendrium), is a fern in the family Aspleniaceae, native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere.

It has simple, undivided fronds 10-60 cm long and 3-6 cm broad, with linear sori spaced in a herring-bone pattern along the frond. It grows on neutral and lime-rich substrates, including moist soil and damp crevices in old walls, most commonly in shaded situations but occasionally in full sun; plants in full sun are usually stunted and yellowish in colour, while those in full shade are dark green and luxuriant.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Hart's-tongue Fern is often grown as an ornamental plant, with several cultivars selected with varying frond form, including with frilled frond margins, forked fronds and cristate forms.

This fern had use in folk medicine as a spleen tonic.