Aspleniaceae
Asplenium L.
Photo: BT. Wursten
Zimbabwe
Description of the genus
Epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial plants. Rhizome creeping, suberect or erect, short or long , often stoloniferous, with scales. Stipe not articulated to the rhizome; black, castaneous or greyish-green; hairless or with hairs or scales. Fronds monomorphic, widely spaced or tufted, simple to 4-pinnatifid; with or without a proliferous bud at or near the lamina apex; veins free or anastomosing at the margins. Sori linear (in ours), elongated and dorsally along a vein or shortened and near marginal; indusium narrow or rudimentary.
Derivation of name: a splen means without a spleen; it was thought that the plants could reduce an enlarged spleen.
Worldwide: c. 700 species, cosmopolitan.
We have 144 taxa in the database for Asplenium.
Asplenium Asplenium abyssinicum FéeAsplenium actiniopteroides PeterAsplenium adamsii AlstonAsplenium adiantum-nigrum L. var. solidum (Kunze) J.P. RouxAsplenium adiantum-nigrum L. var. adiantum-nigrum Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm. f.) Bech. ssp. filare (Forssk.) A.F. Braithw.Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm. f.) Bech. ssp. tripinnatum (Baker) A.F. Braithw.Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm. f.) Bech.Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm. f.) Bech. ssp. aethiopicum Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm. f.) Bech. ssp. dodecaploideum A.F. Braithw.Asplenium africanum Desv.Asplenium akimense C.D. AdamsAsplenium albersii Hieron.Asplenium angolense BakerAsplenium anisophyllum KunzeAsplenium annetii (Jeanp.) AlstonAsplenium aureum Cav.Asplenium balense Chaerle & VianeAsplenium barteri hook.Asplenium biafranum Alston & F. Ballard ex F. BallardAsplenium billotii F.W. SchultzAsplenium blastophorum Hieron.Asplenium boltonii Hook. ex Brause & Hieron.Asplenium brausei HieronAsplenium buettneri Hieron.Asplenium bugoiense Hieron.Asplenium burundense Pic. Serm.Asplenium cancellatum AlstonAsplenium capense (Kunze) Bir, Fraser-Jenk. & LovisAsplenium carvalhoanum HerreroAsplenium ceii Pic.Serm.Asplenium centrafricanum Pic. Serm.Asplenium ceterach L. ssp. ceterach Asplenium chaseanum SchelpeAsplenium christii Hieron.Asplenium cordatum (Thunb.) Sw.Asplenium cornutum AlstonAsplenium cuneatum Lam.Asplenium currorii Hook.Asplenium daghestanicum Christ.Asplenium dalhousiae Hook.Asplenium demerkense Hieron.Asplenium diplazisorum Hieron.Asplenium dregeanum KunzeAsplenium elliottii C.H. WrightAsplenium emarginatum P. Beauv.Asplenium erectum Bory ex Willd.Asplenium erythraeum Pic. Serm.Asplenium flexuosum Schrad.Asplenium fontanum (L.) Bernh.Asplenium foreziense Legrand.Asplenium formosum Willd.Asplenium friesiorum C. Chr.Asplenium gemmascens AlstonAsplenium gemmiferum Schrad.Asplenium goetzei Hieron.Asplenium hallei TardieuAsplenium harleyanum G. KunkelAsplenium hemionitis L.Asplenium hemitomum Hieron.Asplenium hispanicum (Coss.) Greuter & BurdetAsplenium holstii Hieron.Asplenium hypomelas KuhnAsplenium inaequilaterale Willd.Asplenium irregulare BakerAsplenium isabelense BrauseAsplenium jaundeense Hieron.Asplenium lademannianum Rosenst.Asplenium lambinonii Pic. Serm.Asplenium laurentii J. Bommer ex H. ChristAsplenium linckii KuhnAsplenium lividum Mett. ex KuhnAsplenium lobatum Pappe & RawsonAsplenium longicauda Hook.Asplenium loxoscaphoides BakerAsplenium lunulatum Sw.Asplenium macrophlebium BakerAsplenium mannii Hook.Asplenium marinum L.Asplenium markusbeckeri Eb. Fisher & LobinAsplenium megalura Hieron.Asplenium mildbraedii Hieron.Asplenium monanthes L.Asplenium mossambicense SchelpeAsplenium multiforme KrasserAsplenium musiraense VianeAsplenium nidus L.Asplenium normale D. DonAsplenium obovatum Viv. ssp. obovatum Asplenium obscurum BlumeAsplenium onopteris L.Asplenium paucifolium Bonap.Asplenium pellucidum Lam. ssp. pseudohorridum (Hieron.) SchelpeAsplenium peteri Bech.Asplenium petrarchae (Guérin) DC. ssp. petrarchae Asplenium phillipsianum (Kümmerie) Bir, Fraser-Jenk. & LovisAsplenium platyneuron (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.Asplenium pocsii Pic. Serm.Asplenium praegracile Rosenst.Asplenium preussii Hieron. ex BrauseAsplenium prionitis KunzeAsplenium protensum Schrad.Asplenium pumilum Sw.Asplenium ramicola Eb. Fisher & LobinAsplenium reekmansii Pic. Serm.Asplenium rukararense BrauseAsplenium ruta-muraria L.Asplenium rutifolium (P.J. Bergius) KunzeAsplenium rutshuruense Taton ex Pic.Serm.Asplenium ruwenzoriense BakerAsplenium sandersonii Hook.Asplenium schelpei A.F. Braithw.Asplenium schnellii TardieuAsplenium schweinfurthii BakerAsplenium scolopendrium L.Asplenium sebungweense J.E. BurrowsAsplenium seelosii Leyb. ssp. glabrum (Litard. & Maire) Rothm.Asplenium septentrionale (L.) Hoffm.Asplenium sertularioides BakerAsplenium simii A.F. Braithw. & SchelpeAsplenium smedsii Pic. Serm.Asplenium splendens Kunze ssp. drakensbergense A.F. Braithw.Asplenium splendens Kunze ssp. splendens Asplenium staudtii Hieron.Asplenium stipicellatum Pic.Serm.Asplenium stoloniferum BoryAsplenium stuhlmannii Hieron.Asplenium subintegrum C.Chr.Asplenium sulcatum Lam.Asplenium tenuicaudatum Pic.Serm.Asplenium theciferum (Kunth) Mett.Asplenium trichomanes L. ssp. quadrivalens D.E. Mey.Asplenium trichomanes L. ssp. pachyrachis (H. Christ) Lovis & Reichst.Asplenium trichomanes L. ssp. trichomanes Asplenium udzungwense BeentjeAsplenium uhligii Hieron.Asplenium unilaterale Lam.Asplenium uschiae Eb. Fisher & LobinAsplenium variabile Hook.Asplenium varians Wall. ex Hook. & Grev. ssp. fimbriatum (Kunze) SchelpeAsplenium viride Huds.Asplenium volkensii Hieron.Asplenium warneckei Hieron.
Literature
Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide. Struik Nature.
Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria.
Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13: 1-222.
Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta.Flora Zambesiaca, 0: 1-254.