SafePlants

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

The Ebony Spleenwort, scientifically known as Asplenium platyneuron, also goes by the common names Ebony Spleenwort and Brown-stem Spleenwort. Other related species include Asplenium ebeneum and Asplenium resiliens (Black Stem Spleenwort or Little Ebony Spleenwort), and Asplenium trichomanes (Maidenhair Spleenwort).

Considerations for Pets

• Some varieties feature scales on the stem.

Considerations for Children

• Fiddleheads (young, curled fronds) emerge in the spring.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Asplenium platyneuron
• Family: Aspleniaceae, Polypodiaceae
• Synonyms: The text also references other Asplenium species, potentially indicating they were once considered the same or closely related.
• Alternative Names: Ebony Spleenwort, Brown-stem Spleenwort

Distribution and Habitat

• Ebony Spleenwort is a common fern found in dry woodlands and woodland edges.
• The Black Stem Spleenwort (Asplenium resiliens) is native to tropical America, ranging from the southern United States to the West Indies.
• Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) thrives in moist, rocky environments, such as cliff crevices and talus slopes.
• The Maidenhair Spleenwort thrives in shady rock crevices and rocky, calcium-rich environments.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• The Ebony Spleenwort is noted for its dark, reddish-brown to blackish stem (stipe and rachis), which is often shiny.
• Fronds are narrow, typically 4-12 inches long.
• Leaflets are alternate and the fronds are pagodalike.
• Stems are short-creeping and often branched.
• Sterile fronds are 3-6 inches long, flat, and spread from the center.

Quirky Facts

• One source suggests the plant should be renamed "Brown-stem Spleenwort" because it isn't truly black.

Further Information

• USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) for Asplenium trichomanes