Asplenium platyneuron (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.

Ebony spleenwort (en)

Species

Pteridophytes > Polypodiales > Aspleniaceae > Asplenium

Characteristics

Roots not proliferous. Stems short-creeping, unbranched; scales dark brown to black throughout, narrowly linear-deltate, 2--4 × 0.3--0.6 mm, margins entire. Leaves ± dimorphic; fertile leaves taller and more erect than sterile leaves. Petiole reddish brown throughout, lustrous, 1--10 cm, 1/4--1/3 length of blade; indument of dark brown to black, filiform scales at base. Blade lustrous, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 1-pinnate throughout, 4--50 × 2--5(--7) cm, thin, glabrous, or occasionally sparsely pubescent; base gradually tapered; apex acute, not rooting. Rachis reddish or purplish brown throughout, lustrous, glabrous. Pinnae in 15--45 pairs, oblong to quadrangular; medial pinnae 1--2.5 × 0.3--0.5 cm; base with conspicuous acroscopic and sometimes basiscopic auricle, this overlapping rachis; margins crenate to serrulate, sometimes more deeply incised in robust specimens; apex acute to obtuse. Veins free, evident. Sori 1--12 pairs per pinna, on both basiscopic and acroscopic sides. Spores 64 per sporangium. 2 n = 72.
More
Rhizome erect to suberect, c. 4 mm in diameter, set with dark brown to black, lanceolate-attenuate, subentire rhizome-scales c. 3 mm long. Fronds tufted, firmly membranous, not gemmiferous; stipe atrocastaneous, nitid, less than V6 lamina length, set at first with hair-like scales; lamina linear, c. 240 x 26 mm, pinnate, lower pinnae decrescent; pinnae in up to 50 pairs, subsessile, set at 90 or more to rhachis; midpinnae linear to oblong or lanceolate, auriculate acroscopically, base cordate, overlapping rhachis, margin somewhat irregularly crenate-serrate, incisions sometimes alternating deeper and shallower, upper surface glabrous, lower surface set with minute pale or dark-tipped scales; venation obscure. Sori up to 18 per pinna, c. 2 mm long; indusium membranous, erose, c. 0.5 mm broad.
Rhizome erect to suberect, up to 4 mm in diam., with dark brown to black, lanceolate-attenuate scales, up to 3 mm long, subentire. Fronds caespitose, erect, up to 245 mm long. Stipe dark brown, glossy, up to 55 mm long, initially scaled. Lamina herbaceous, 1-pinnate, linear, up to 240 x 26 mm, with up to 50 pairs. Pinnae subsessile, linear to oblong or lanceolate, auriculate acroscopically, irregularly crenate-serrate, glabrous adaxially, sparsely scaled abaxially. Sori linear, up to 2 mm long, up to 14 pairs per pinna. Indusium membranous, erose, up to 0.5 mm wide.
Terrestrial. Rhizome shortly creeping to suberect, with blackish brown scales. Fronds tufted, strongly erect, pinnate, lamina linear-elliptic to linear-oblanceolate, ± 240 x 26 mm, glabrous adaxially, subglabrous with minute, scattered scales abaxially; pinnae roughly rectangular, somewhat falcate and angled downwards, sessile, with enlarged acroscopic lobe, margins crenate to subentire; rachis black, glossy; stipe blackish brown, glabrous at maturity. Sporangia in linear, indusiate sori borne in 7-18 pairs set at 45° angle to midrib.
Rhizome suberect. Fronds to 24 cm, erect, tufted, stipe initially scaled, lamina linear, 1-pinnate, with up to 50 pinna pairs, pinnae oblong, auriculate acroscopically, margins irregularly crenate-serrate, sparsely scaled beneath. Sori to 14 pairs per pinna, indusium erose.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality -
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light 4-6
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture 6-7
Soil acidity 2-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 5-9

Usage

Uses environmental use medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions.
Mode divisions
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -29
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Asplenium platyneuron habit picture by Eli Small (cc-by-sa)
Asplenium platyneuron habit picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Asplenium platyneuron leaf picture by Scott Nottmeier (cc-by-sa)
Asplenium platyneuron leaf picture by Bianca Andrews (cc-by-sa)
Asplenium platyneuron leaf picture by Serena boettcher (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Asplenium platyneuron world distribution map, present in Canada, Lesotho, United States of America, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1207931-2
WFO ID wfo-0001110406
COL ID HL6V
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Asplenium platyneuron f. hortoniae Tarachia platyneura Trichomanes ebeneum Asplenium platyneuros Chamaefilix platyneuros Asplenium platyneuron f. proliferum Asplenium platyneuron f. platyneuron Asplenium ebeneum Acrostichum platyneuron Asplenium ebeneum f. proliferum Asplenium platyneuron f. dissectum Asplenium platyneuron f. furcatum Asplenium platyneuron f. multifidum Asplenium platyneuron f. serratum Asplenium platyneuron var. incisum Asplenium ebeneum var. incisum Asplenium ebeneum var. hortonae Asplenium platyneuron var. platyneuron Asplenium ebeneum var. proliferum Asplenium platyneuron f. incisum Asplenium platyneuron var. euroaustrinum Asplenium platyneuron var. hortonae Asplenium platyneuron

Lower taxons

Asplenium platyneuron var. bacculum-rubrum