Ebony Spleenwort
Asplenium platyneuron

Other scientific names: Acrostichum platyneuros, Asplenium ebeneum

French names: Doradille ébéne 

Family: Spleenwort Family (Aspleniaceae)

Group: Spleenworts

Similar species:
  •   Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) - much larger.
  •   Northern Holly Fern (Polystichum lonchitis) - larger.
  •   Polypody (Polypodium virginianum) - stalk not dark, leaflets are different.

Leaves: Evergreen, Once divided

Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 in)

Stem: Reddish-brown (dark).

Habitat: Forests

Native/Non-native: Native

Status: Not very common, but not rare.

For more information visit: Ontario Ferns

Photographs: 82 photographs available, of which 7 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

 Ebony Spleenwort, growing in its favourite habitat - woods, and edge of woods.

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

 This fern usually grows fairly straight upward.

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

 The leaflets are sometimes "frilly", as shown here, and sometimes smooth-edged (entire).

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

 The reddish-brown stalks. This photo also shows the sori underneath a fertile frond. As seen by the fingers holding this fern, this is not a large fern, but it is definitely much larger than its cousins, Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) and Green Spleenwort (Asplenium viride).

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

 Underside of frond, showing arrangement of sori.

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

 Herbarium specimen showing the roots.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

 Herbarium specimen showing the underside of frond, showing sori.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).

Range map for Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)

 

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