Southern Maidenhair Fern

Species Family Genus Common names

: Adiantum Capillus - Veneris : Adiantaceae : Adiantum : Southern Maidenhair Fern

Southern Maidenhair is a small, slow-growing evergreen fern found throughout the world. This deciduous (leaf shedding) beautiful and graceful fern reaches 10 to 15 inches tall, growing in stands from its creeping rhizome bearing very-fine textured fan shaped leaves up to 50 cm long. It can be grown as an ornamental plant.

It has clustered fronds (leaves) 10-60cm long which may be erect or spreading. The underground stem is creeping and short, the stalks (rachis) long and slender, dark brown to purplish-black with a smooth, polished appearance. Pinnules (leaflets) are 7-15 mm wide, ovate, slightly asymmetrical with wedge-shape bases and rounded outer edges. They often have deep and irregular finely-toothed lobes. The spores are contained in sporangia which are clustered into sori (clusters of spore-bearing organs).