Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, black spleenwort fern
Esser, Lora L. 1994. Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, black spleenwort fern. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/aspadi
| Abbreviation | Common Name | Scientific Name | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plants | ||||
| ASPADI | black spleenwort fern | Asplenium adiantum-nigrum | Life Form: Plants/Fern or Fern Ally, Plants/Forb Kingdom: Plantae Class: Fern or moonwort Order: Polypodiales Family: Aspleniaceae Genus: Asplenium | Fed. Protected: No Nativity: Native Invasiveness: Invasive |
Taxonomy
The currently accepted scientific name of black spleenwort fern is Asplenium adiantum-nigrum L. [5,12,15]. It is a member of the Aspleniaceae family. Asplenium adiantum-nigrum is derived from a cross between A. onopteris L. and A. cuneifolium Viv. [1,11,12]. Black spleenwort fern shows a wide range of morphological variation, completely overlapping with the typical forms of both parents [12].
Synonyms
- Asplenium andrewsii
Other Common Names
black spleenwort
General Distribution
Black spleenwort fern is an introduced species in the continental United States and only occurs in Arizona, Utah, and Colorado [5,7,15]. It is native to Hawaii, Eurasia, and Africa [6,12,15].
States and Provinces
- United States: AZ CO HI UT
Site Characteristics
Black spleenwort fern occurs in rocky or mountainous areas [5,6,7,15]. In Utah, it is found on shaded, mesic cliffs of Navajo sandstone [15]. Black spleenwort fern occurs at elevations of 5,775 feet (1,750 m) in Utah, 5,500 feet (1,650 m) in Colorado, and 7,500 feet (2,250 m) in Arizona [5,7,15].
Plant Communities
Black spleenwort fern occurs in mountain brush and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) communities in southern Utah [15]. It occurs in mountainous or rocky areas throughout the state of Colorado [5]. In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, black spleenwort fern occurs in Ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) communities [6].
Botanical Description
Black spleenwort fern is perennial, with fronds tufted or few together, 0.33 to 0.99 feet (0.1-0.3 m) long. Blades are ovate-deltoid to elongate deltoid, 1.2 to 6 inches (3-15 cm) long and 1.0 to 3.0 inches (2.5-7.6 cm) wide, and bipinnate or ternate. The sori are short, but almost connected in a continuous chain on the pinnae. Black spleenwort fern has short rhizomes with numerous roots [5,15].
Raunkiaer Life Form (Raunkiaer 1934)
- Geophyte
- Hemicryptophyte
Seasonal Development
No entry.
Regeneration Processes
Black spleenwort fern reproduces from spores and short rhizomes [5,15].
Successional Status
No entry.
Immediate Fire Effects
Black spleenwort fern is probably top-killed by fire.
Postfire Regeneration Strategy (Stickney 1989)
- Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
Fire Adaptations
Black spleenwort fern grows on cliffs and ledges. These areas may protect it from most fires.
Plant Response to Fire
Black spleenwort fern may sprout from rhizomes after fire.
Fire Regimes
For fire regime information, search FEIS for this species by entering the species name or acronym on the home page and selecting “Fire Regime” as the publication type.
Fire Management Considerations
No entry.
Federal Status
None
Other Status
No entry.
Importance to Wildlife and Livestock
No entry.
Value for Rehabilitation or Restoration of Disturbed Sites
No entry.
Other Uses
No entry.
Other Management Considerations
No entry.
Table A1— Forest and range ecosystems, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) physiographic regions, Kuchler plant associations, Society for American Foresters (SAF) forest cover types, and Society for Rangeland Management (SRM) rangeland cover types in which this species occurs.
Forest and Range Ecosystems (Garrison et al. 1977)
- FRES21 Ponderosa pine
- FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
BLM Physiographic Regions (Bernard and Brown 1977)
- 11 Southern Rocky Mountains
- 12 Colorado Plateau
Kuchler Plant Associations (Kuchler 1964)
- No entry
SAF Cover Types (Eyre 1980)
- 237 Interior ponderosa pine
SRM Rangeland Cover Types (Shiflet 1994)
- No entry
1. Bennert, H. Wilfried; Jager, Wolfgang; Theren, Gregor. 1982. Spore characters of taxa within the Asplenium adiantum-nigrum complex and their systematical significance. Berichte Der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft. 95(2): 297-312. [23411]
2. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]
3. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
4. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
5. Harrington, H. D. 1964. Manual of the plants of Colorado. 2d ed. Chicago: The Swallow Press Inc. 666 p. [6851]
6. Hughes, Flint; Vitousek, Peter M.; Tunison, Timothy. 1991. Alien grass invasion and fire in the seasonal submontane zone of Hawai'i. Ecology. 72(2): 743-746. [15962]
7. Kearney, Thomas H.; Peebles, Robert H.; Howell, John Thomas; McClintock, Elizabeth. 1960. Arizona flora. 2d ed. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1085 p. [6563]
8. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
9. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
10. Richardson, P. Mick; Lorenz-Liburnau, Eugenia. 1982. C-glycosylxanthones in the Asplenium adiantum-nigrum complex. American Fern Journal. 72(4): 103-106. [23336]
11. Richardson, P. M. 1983. Phenolic chemistry distinguishes Asplenium adiantum-nigrum L. from A. cuneifolium VIV. Watsonia. 14(4): 414-415. [23335]
12. Sleep, Anne. 1980. On the reported occurrence of Asplenium cuneifolium and A. adiantum-nigrum in the British Isles. Fern Gazette. 12(2): 103-107. [23334]
13. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p. [20090]
14. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1994. Plants of the U.S.--alphabetical listing. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 954 p. [23104]
15. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]