northern maidenhair

(Adiantum pedatum)

Conservation Status
northern maidenhair
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Northern maidenhair is a 12 to 24 tall, erect, perennial fern that rises on a single frond or a few fronds from a short, creeping rhizome and black, hair-like roots.

The leaves (fronds) are erect, arching, closely spaced, 15¾ to 30 long, and deciduous. The leaf stem (stipe) is purple or purplish-black, grooved, hairless, and occasionally covered with a whitish, waxy bloom (glaucous). It is to 2 long and divided at the top into two equal branches (rachises) that are arched to bent backwards. The blades are held horizontally, 90° to the stipe, roughly parallel to the ground.

The blade is kidney-shaped to almost circular, 6 to 11¾ long, and 6 to 13¾ wide. Each rachis has 2 to 9 primary leaf segments (pinnae) attached to the upper side each rachis. The pinnae closest to the stipe are the largest and have mostly 15 to 35 widely spreading leaflets (pinnules). The pinnae become progressively shorter as they approach the tip.

The pinnules are alternate, short stalked, oblong to nearly rectangular, ½ to long, and 3 16 to wide, about 3 times as long as wide. The terminal and lowest pinnule is fan-shaped. The main vein is along the lower margin. The lateral veins are easily seen. The lower margin is unlobed, untoothed, and slightly curved. The upper margin is lobed. The lobes are separated by narrow sinuses, and toothed with rounded teeth. The upper surface is green and hairless. The underside is green and is not covered with white powder. They repel water, so that after a rain they look dry with water beads on the surface.

On fertile pinnules the upper margin is bent backward into a membranous flap (indusium) on which oblong, spore-bearing structures (sporangia) are borne in a compact cluster (sorus). There are 64 yellow to light brown spores per sporangium. Spores are produced from July to September.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

12 to 24

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moderate moisture. Deciduous woods. Shade.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Sporulation

 
 

July to September

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  10/9/2021      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Polypodiophytina  
  Class Polypodiopsida (ferns)  
  Subclass Polypodiidae (leptosporangiate ferns)  
 

Order

Polypodiales (true ferns)  
 

Family

Pteridaceae (maidenhair fern)  
 

Subfamily

Vittarioideae (maidenhair ferns and shoestring ferns)  
 

Genus

Adiantum (maidenhair ferns)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

northern maidenhair

pointerweed

five-finger fern

maidenhair fern

northern maidenhair fern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Frond

A large leaf with many divisions: in ferns, the compound leaf, including the stipe and the blade; in mosses, a closely and regularly branched stem resembling a fern leaf; in lichens, a stalkless, leaf-like extension.

 

Glaucous

Pale green or bluish gray due to a whitish, powdery or waxy film, as on a plum or a grape.

 

Indusium

Undergarment. In ferns: A veil covering the cluster (sorus) of spore-producing structures (sporangia). In fungi: A skirt-like structure hanging from the cap (receptacle) of a stinkhorn.

 

Pinna

The primary division of a compound leaf or fern frond.

 

Pinnule

The ultimate segment (individual leaflets) of a twice or more compound leaf or fern frond.

 

Rachis

The main axis of a compound leaf, appearing as an extension of the leaf stalk; the main axis of an inflorescence.

 

Sorus

A compact cluster of spore-bearing cases or sacs (sporangia) on a fern.

 

Sporangium

A spore bearing structure, as of a fern or moss.

 

Stipe

A supporting stalk-like structure lacking vascular tissue: in fungi, the stalk supporting the mushroom cap; in ferns, the stalk connecting the blade to the rhizome; in flowering plants, the stalk connecting the flower’s ovary to the receptacle; in orchids; the band connecting the pollina with the viscidium.

 
 
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Luciearl

 
    northern maidenhair      
           
 

Maidenhair ferns at Fritz Loven Park

 
    northern maidenhair      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Mature Plant

 
    northern maidenhair      
           
 

Early Spring

 
    northern maidenhair   northern maidenhair  
           
    northern maidenhair      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Adiantum pedatum
Butler Herbarium
  Adiantum pedatum  

 

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Other Videos
 
  Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum )
wvoutdoorman
 
   
 
About

Published on May 1, 2012

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum )

   
  F01 Adiantum pedatum Séquence 1-Fougères 1.m4v
Jeanfilm2
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jan 10, 2010

La Capillaire du Canada du printemps à l'automne. Maiden-hair Fern from spring to fall. Helecho Adiantum pedatum de la primavera hasta el otoño. شعر ربيع كندا في الخريف. वसंत से शरद ऋतु के लिए कनाडा के बाल

   
  Learn about Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum) from Prairie Moon Nursery
PrairieMoonNursery
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Nov 24, 2009

http://www.PrairieMoon.com - Watch this short video to discover more information about the Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum).

   
  Adiantum pedatum
wetvideocamera
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 9, 2013

Maidenhair Fern - A beautiful fern with a large palmate series of fronds on black or deep red stipes. Often found in shady, well drained spray zones near waterfalls and swift streams. ( Adiantum pedatum ) June 8, 2013 Burnaby, BC

   

 

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