Asplenium ASPLENIACEAE Asplenium 



Sori single. 



Indusia straight: rhizome scales clathrate 1. Asplenium 



Indusia curved, often crossing the vein: rhizome scales large, thin.. 2. Athyrium 



1. Asplenium Linn. Spleenwort W^PiWM (T'ieh Koh Chueh Shu; 



Iron Horn Fern Genus) 



A large genus of small to medium sized ferns of great diversity of form, growing 

 in many parts of the world, terrestrial, petrophilous, or epiphytic: leaves simple to 

 finely dissected: stipes tufted; veins usually free: sori linear or slightly curved, 

 attached to the oblique veinlets; indusimn single, straight: rhizome scales clathrate. 

 650 species. (Greek: asplenon, a name used by Dioscorides for some fern supposed 

 to cure diseases of the spleen.) 



Key to the Species 



a. Leaves simple 1. A. ensiforme 



aa. Leaves pinnatifid to decompound, 

 b. Leaves pinnate. 



c. Pinnae 7-15 cm. long 2. A. centrochinense 



cc. Pinnae 0.5-5 cm. long. 



d. Apex of pinnae acute. 



Stipe and rachis scaly, not glossy 3. A. crinicaule 



Stipe not scaly, glossy 4. A. unilaterale 



dd. Apex of pinnae obtuse; stipes glossy. 



Pinnae distant, 5-10 mm. long, oval; rachis ridges 



pale 5. A. trichomanes 



Pinnae approximate, 10-25 mm. long, oblong; rachis 



ridges concolorous 6. A. normale 



bb. Leaves bipinnatifid to decompound. 



Texture thin; lower pinnae much reduced 7. A. incisum 



Texture firm; lower pinnae not reduced; ultimate divisions 



narrowly linear 8. A. sarelii 



1. Asplenium ensiforme Wall. (Bd. F. 141). 12-24 cm. tall; fr. VII-IX; stipes short; 

 veins oblique. China, India; locally in Ki. Moss-covered rocks. 



2. Asplenium centrochinense Christ (Su. B. 182). 45-90 cm. tall; fr. VI-XI; pinnae 

 7-15 cm., both margins serrulate. China, Japan, Korea, Philippines; locally in 

 An., Ki. Wooded hillsides. 



3. Asplenium crinicaule Hance (H.S. F. 208). 15-40 cm. tall; fr. V-XII; apex of 

 scales filiform; margins erose to incised. China, India; locally in Ki. Wooded 

 hillsides. 



4. Asplenium unilaterale Lam. (Bd. F. 152) 25-55 cm. tall; fr. V-IX; pinnae 2-5 cm. 

 long, the lower margins entire, the upper serrate. Asia, Africa; locally in Ki. 

 Along mountain streams. 



5. Asplenium trichomanes Linn. (H. S. F. 196). 6-35 cm. tall; fr. IV-XI. rachis 

 winged. Cosmopolitan; locally in An., Che., Ki., Ku. Rocky ledges. 



6. Asplenium normale Don (H. S. F. 197). 12-35 cm. tall; fr. IV-XII; upper edge 

 of pinnae auricled. Asia, Australia, Hawaii; locally in An., Che., Ki. Moss- 

 covered rocks. 



7. Asplenium incisum Thunb. (H. S. F. 217). 8-35 cm. tall; fr. IV-XII; leaves 

 variable, pinnate to tripinnatifid. China, Korea, Japan, Manchuria; locally in An., 

 Che., Ki., Ku. Stone walls, rocks, stream banks. 



8. Asplenium sarelii Hook. (A. saulii Baker) (H. S. F. 216; C. Chr. 130). 4-20 cm. 



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