# maidenhair spleenwort

*Asplenium trichomanes*

Its common name refers to the ancient doctrine of signatures, where its spleen-shaped sori (spore clumps) led people to believe it could cure spleen ailments.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Polypodiopsida › Polypodiales › Aspleniaceae › Asplenium
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Shaded rock crevices, limestone cliffs, mortar joints of old stone walls, and moist talus slopes.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis, utilizing moisture and minerals accumulated in rock crevices).
- **Range:** Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, South America, Australasia
- **Size:** Fronds typically grow 10 to 30 cm in length.
- **Lifespan:** Perennial, living for 10 to 30 years.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Loss of old stone walls to modern masonry, quarrying, and localized over-collection by gardeners.
- **Safe to approach?:** This plant is entirely harmless and safe to touch. To protect fragile rock ecosystems, admire it without dislodging it from its crevice. No special precautions or medical actions are necessary.

## About

Asplenium trichomanes (commonly known as maidenhair spleenwort ) is a small fern in the spleenwort genus Asplenium . It is a widespread and common species, occurring almost worldwide in a variety of rocky habitats. It is a variable fern with several subspecies.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5ea60c22-16c5-4e91-803e-739d71728ef9
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/75609
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asplenium trichomanes
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/228739362/medium.jpg (Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.