Adiantum capillus-veneris
Venus'-hair Fern
Southern Maidenhair
Common Maidenhair
Florida native
In Florida most common in wet to moist limestone outcrops of sinks, rivers and bluffs in the central panhandle, occasionally found in other parts of north Florida and the central peninsula. The range includes much of the southern half of the United States from Maryland to California, plus Ohio, South Dakota and British Columbia in Canada.
The fronds are 15-75cm (6-30 in.) long, drooping from and closely spaced along a creeping stem growing from the rocks. The blade is pinnate near the tip and usually bi-pinnate or tri-pinnate towards the base. The petiole is thin and delicate. The rachis is dark brown, slender and hairless. Both petiole and rachis may be straight or flexous, often with a zig-zag appearance. The pinnae are alternate and widely spaced. The highly variable pinnules are basically fan-shaped.
In the Florida panhandle, this is the most likely maidenhair fern to encounter.
Adiantum capillus-veneris is a member of the Pteridaceae - Maidenhair Fern family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Apr 10, 2020