Adiantum aleuticum
| Western maidenhair fern | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Western Maidenhair (Adiantum aleuticum) | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pteridophyta |
| Class: | Pteridopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Family: | Pteridaceae |
| Subfamily: | Vittarioideae |
| Genus: | Adiantum |
| Species: | A. aleuticum |
| Binomial name | |
| Adiantum aleuticum (Rupr.) C.A.Paris |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
A. pedatum var. aleuticum |
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Adiantum aleuticum (western maidenhair fern) is a species of fern in the genus Adiantum, native mainly to western North America from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, south to Chihuahua, and also locally in northeastern North America from Newfoundland south to Maryland.
Contents |
[edit] Description
The fronds grow to 15-110 cm high, and are fan-shaped, light to medium green with dark brown to black stems. It prefers fertile, moist soil in rock crevices near streams, from sea level in the north of its range, up to 3,200 m altitude in the south of its range. It tolerates serpentinite rock well, and is confined to this mineral-rich rock in some areas.
Other common names include serpentine maidenhair, Aleutian maidenhair, and five-fingered fern.
[edit] Taxonomy
All species in the genus Adiantum are currently placed in the subfamily Vittarioideae of family Pteridaceae on the basis of molecular phylogenetic evidence.[1] Formerly classified as A. pedatum var. aleuticum, it was shown to be a separate species in 1991.[2]
[edit] Medicinal Uses
Frond tea is used to strengthen mucosal membranes, treat coughs, throat congestion, and respiratory irritation caused by air pollution.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
- Adiantum pedatum (five-fingered fern)
[edit] References
- ^ Maarten J. M. Christenhusz, Xian-Chun Zhang & Harald Schneider (2011). "A linear sequence of extant families and genera of lycophytes and ferns" (PDF). Phytotaxa 19: 7–54. http://www.mapress.com/phytotaxa/content/2011/f/pt00019p054.pdf.
- ^ Paris, Cathy A. (April 1991), "Adiantum viridimontanum, a new maidenhair fern in eastern North America", Rhodora 93 (874): 105–121, http://www.botanicus.org/item/31753002085089
- Flora of North America: Adiantum aleuticum
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Adiantum aleuticum
- [1]
- [2]
[edit] External links
Media related to Adiantum aleuticum at Wikimedia Commons
- NatureServe Secure species
- Adiantum
- Fern species
- Flora of the West Coast of the United States
- Flora of the Northwestern United States
- Flora of Arizona
- Flora of Nevada
- Flora of Utah
- Flora of Alberta
- Flora of British Columbia
- Flora of Quebec
- Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Flora of Maine
- Flora of Vermont
- Flora of Pennsylvania
- Flora of Maryland
- Ferns of the United States
- Flora of Mexico
