''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 250 species of

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

s in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Pteridaceae, though some researchers place it in its own family, Adiantaceae. The genus name comes from

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

, meaning "unwetted", referring to the

frond A frond is a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the lar ...

s' ability to shed water without becoming wet.

Description

They are distinctive in appearance, with dark, often black stipes and

rachis In biology, a rachis (from the [], "backbone, spine") is a main axis or "shaft". In zoology and microbiology In vertebrates, ''rachis'' can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the ''rachi ...

es, and bright green, often delicately cut

leaf A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the plant stem, stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leav ...

tissue. The sori are borne submarginally, and are covered by reflexed flaps of leaf tissue which resemble indusia. Dimorphism between sterile and fertile fronds is generally subtle. They generally prefer

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

-rich, moist, well-drained sites, ranging from bottomland

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

s to vertical rock walls. Many species are especially known for growing on rock walls around

waterfall A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...

s and water seepage areas. The highest species diversity is in the Andes. Fairly high diversity also occurs in eastern Asia, with nearly 40 species in China. Species native to North America include '' A. pedatum'' (five-fingered fern) and the closely related '' A. aleuticum'', which are distinctive in having a bifurcating frond that radiates pinnae on one side only. The cosmopolitan '' A. capillus-veneris'' (Venus-hair fern) has a native distribution that extends into the eastern continent. '' A. jordanii'' (California Maidenhair) is native to the west coast. There is a rich ''Adiantum'' flora in New Zealand with 3 endemic species (''A. cunninghamii'', ''A. viridescens'' and ''A. fulvum'') in a total of 10 recorded species. Many of these are common especially in the west and south of the islands.

Cladistics

List of species

*''

Adiantum abscissum ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place ...

'' *''

Adiantum adiantoides ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place ...

'' *''

Adiantum aethiopicum ''Adiantum aethiopicum'', also known as the common maidenhair fern, is a small fern of widespread distribution, occurring in Africa, Australia, Norfolk Island and New Zealand. ''Adiantum aethiopicum'' was one of the many species first describe ...

'' – common maidenhair, true maidenhair *''

Adiantum alarconianum ''Adiantum alarconianum'' is a South American maidenhair fern. First scientifically collected in the early 1800s in Ecuador, it is found in neighboring parts of Peru as well. Its iridescent stem scales help to differentiate it from other relate ...

'' *'' Adiantum aleuticum'' – Aleutian maidenhair, western five-fingered Fern *''

Adiantum amazonicum ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place ...

'' *''

Adiantum amblyopteridium ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place ...

'' *''

Adiantum amelianum ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking Asplenium trichomanes, maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family (biology), family Pterida ...

'' *'' Adiantum anceps'' – double edge maidenhair *'' Adiantum aneitense'' *'' Adiantum angustatum'' *'' Adiantum annamense'' *'' Adiantum atroviride'' *'' Adiantum bellum'' – Bermuda maidenhair *'' Adiantum bessoniae'' *'' Adiantum blumenavense'' *'' Adiantum boliviense'' *'' Adiantum bonatianum'' *'' Adiantum bonii'' *'' Adiantum brasiliense'' – Brazilian maidenhair *'' Adiantum breviserratum'' *'' Adiantum calcareum'' *'' Adiantum capillus-junonis'' *'' Adiantum capillus-veneris'' – black maidenhair, southern maidenhair, Venus' hair *'' Adiantum caudatum'' – walking maidenhair, tailed maidenhair, trailing maidenhair *'' Adiantum celebicum'' *'' Adiantum chilense'' *'' Adiantum christii'' *'' Adiantum comoroense'' *'' Adiantum concinnum'' – polished maidenhair, brittle maidenhair *'' Adiantum coreanum'' – Korean maidenhair fern *'' Adiantum crespianum'' *'' Adiantum cultratum'' *''

Adiantum cuneatiforme ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place it ...

'' *'' Adiantum cunninghamii'' *'' Adiantum cupreum'' *'' Adiantum curvatum'' *'' Adiantum davidii'' *'' Adiantum diaphanum'' – filmy maidenhair, small maidenhair. *'' Adiantum dioganum'' *'' Adiantum diphyllum'' *'' Adiantum discretodenticulatum'' *'' Adiantum dissimulatum'' *'' Adiantum edgeworthii'' *'' Adiantum elegantulum'' *'' Adiantum erylliae'' *'' Adiantum erythrochlamys'' *'' Adiantum excisum'' – Chilean maidenhair *'' Adiantum fengianum'' *'' Adiantum fimbriatum'' *'' Adiantum flabellulatum'' *'' Adiantum formosum'' – giant maidenhair, Australian maidenhair *'' Adiantum fossarum'' *'' Adiantum fragile'' – fragile maidenhair *'' Adiantum fragrans'' *'' Adiantum fructosum'' *'' Adiantum fulvum'' *'' Adiantum gertrudis'' *'' Adiantum gibbosum'' *'' Adiantum gingkoides'' *'' Adiantum glabrum'' *'' Adiantum glaureosum'' *'' Adiantum glaucescens'' *'' Adiantum glaucinum'' *'' Adiantum glaziovii'' *'' Adiantum gomphophyllum'' *'' Adiantum gracile'' *'' Adiantum gravesii'' *''

Adiantum grossum ''Adiantum'' (), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place ...

'' *'' Adiantum hispidulum'' – rough maidenhair, rosy maidenhair *'' Adiantum hollandiae'' *'' Adiantum hornei'' *'' Adiantum hosei'' *'' Adiantum imbricatum'' *'' Adiantum incertum'' *'' Adiantum incisum'' *'' Adiantum intermedium'' *''

Adiantum jordanii ''Adiantum jordanii'' is a perennial species of maidenhair fern, in the Vittarioideae subfamily of the Pteridaceae. The species is known by the common name California maidenhair. It is native to California and Baja California. ''A. jordanii' ...

Adiantum pedatum ''Adiantum pedatum'', the northern maidenhair fern, is a species of fern in the family Pteridaceae, native to moist forests in eastern North America. Like other ferns in the genus, the name maidenhair refers to the slender, shining black stip ...

Adiantum trapeziforme ''Adiantum trapeziforme'', the giant maidenhair or diamond maidenhair, is a species of fern in the genus '' Adiantum'', native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America South America is a continent entirely in the Wester ...

'' – diamond maidenhair *'' Adiantum tricholepis'' – fuzzy maidenhair *'' Adiantum trilobum'' *'' Adiantum tripteris'' *'' Adiantum venustum'' – evergreen maidenhair, Himalayan maidenhair. *'' Adiantum villosissimum'' *'' Adiantum villosum'' – woolly maidenhair *'' Adiantum viridescens'' *'' Adiantum viridimontanum'' – Green Mountain maidenhair *'' Adiantum vivesii'' – Puerto Rico maidenhair *'' Adiantum vogelii'' *'' Adiantum wattii'' *'' Adiantum wilsonii'' – Wilson's maidenhair *'' Adiantum zollingeri''

Cultivation

Many species are grown in the

horticultural Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

trade. There are a number of tropical species, including '' A. raddianum'' and '' A. peruvianum''. Both '' A. pedatum'' and '' A. aleuticum'' are hardy to zone 3, and are by far the most cold-hardy members of the genus. ''A. venustum'' is also cold-hardy to zone 5. ''A. capillus-veneris'' is hardy to zone 7. Hybrids, such as '' Adiantum × mairisii'', are also popular.

Gallery

File:Adiantumhispidulum1web.jpg, Rough Maidenhair Fern (''Adiantum hispidulum'') File:Adiantum cunninghamii.jpg, ''Adiantum cunninghamii'' showing characteristic inrolled leaf margin containing sori File:Adiantum lunulatum W IMG_2337.jpg, ''Adiantum lunulatum'' in Goa,

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. File:Adiantumraddianum1web.jpg, Delta Maidenhair (''Adiantum raddianum'')

References

Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Adiantum''Flora of North America: ''Adiantum''Flora of China: ''Adiantum'' species list

External links

{{Authority control Fern genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus