northern maidenhair
(Adiantum pedatum)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
|
|||||||
| 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 ⅜″ to 2⅜″ 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 ⅞″ long, and 3 ⁄16″ to ⅜″ 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 |
||||
|
Sources |
|||
| 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.
Visitor Photos |
|||||
Share your photo of this plant. |
|||||
| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
|||||
Luciearl |
|||||
 |
|||||
Maidenhair ferns at Fritz Loven Park |
|||||
 |
|||||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
|||||
Mature Plant |
|||||
 |
|||||
Early Spring |
|||||
 |
 |
||||
 |
|||||
Slideshows |
||
| Adiantum pedatum Butler Herbarium |
||
|
||
Visitor Videos |
|||
Share your video of this plant. |
|||
| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
|||
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 |
|||
Visitor Sightings |
|||||
Report a sighting of this plant. |
|||||
| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
|||||
| Luciearl 10/25/2021 |
Location: Lake Shore, MN Maidenhair ferns at Fritz Loven Park |
|
|||
| Luciearl 10/8/2021 |
Location: Cass County |
|
|||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
|||||
|
Created: Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |