Asplenium montanum Willd.

Mountain Spleenwort

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Mountain Spleenwort is a native evergreen fern in the Spleenwort family (Aspleniaceae). It is native to the northern third of Alabama. Mountain Spleenwort occurs in crevices in sandstone or other acidic rocks and on mossy boulders. It is a perennial with a short, erect rhizome and clusters of leaves 1-4 inches in length. Leaves are petiolate, evergreen, lanceolate to deltate in outline, glabrous, and 1-2 pinnatifid. Leaves are thick and stiff in texture and are dull green in color. The petioles are dark brown to black in color and covered with black lanceolate scales at the base. The rachis is green and slightly pubescent with glandular hairs. Pinna occur in 4-10 pairs. They have incised margins and a rounded apex. Mountain Spleenwort is monomorphic, with no difference in form between sterile and fertile fronds. Spores are produced in sporangia located on the lower surface of the leaves. The sporangia are grouped together in sori arranged along the veins. The sori are covered by a small translucent indusium. Mountain Spleenwort is often the only vascular plant growing on sandstone boulders. It is part of the “Appalachian Asplenium complex”, and forms hybrids with several other Spleenwort species. It hybridizes with the Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron (Linnaeus) Britton, Sterns & Poggenburg) to form the Cliff Spleenwort or Bradley's Spleenwort (Asplenium bradleyi D.C. Eaton), and with the Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum Linnaeus) to form the Lobed Spleenwort (Asplenium pinnatifidum Nuttall). It also crosses with the Lobed Spleenwort (Asplenium pinnatifidum Nuttall) to form Trudell's Spleenwort (Asplenium ×trudellii Wherry) and with allotetraploid individuals of the Cliff Spleenwort or Bradley's Spleenwort (Asplenium bradleyi D.C. Eaton) to form the rare Wherry’s Spleenwort (Asplenium × wherryi).--A. Diamond

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Native G5 (Global Rank)

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