Asplenium rhizophyllum — walking fern, walking spleenwort
![Sori: Asplenium rhizophyllum. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Aspleniaceae/asplenium-rhizophyllum-so-jlynch-a.jpg)
![Plant form: Asplenium rhizophyllum. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Aspleniaceae/asplenium-rhizophyllum-ha-ahaines.jpg)
![Plant form: Asplenium rhizophyllum. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Aspleniaceae/asplenium-rhizophyllum-ha-jlynch-b.jpg)
![Leaf: Asplenium rhizophyllum. ~ By John Lynch. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Aspleniaceae/asplenium-rhizophyllum-le-jlynch-c.jpg)
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeFacts
Walking spleenwort is usually found on shaded, high-pH rocks and cliffs. It gets its common name from its ability to develop new roots and shoots from the tips of its slender, arching fronds when they touch the ground. As this process is repeated, the plant may appear to "walk" a short distance.
Habitat
Cliffs, balds, or ledges, ridges or ledges, talus and rocky slopes
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf divisions
- the leaf blade is entire (without lobes or dissections)
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are similar in size and shape to the sterile fronds
- Sorus shape
-
- the sori are long and narrow, and curved
- the sori are long and narrow, and straight
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk hairs
- the leaf stalk has hairs
- Leaf blade length
- 1–30 cm
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins end in small round expanded areas, and do not reach the edge of the leaf blade
-
Growth form
- Life form
- the plant is herbaceous and terrestrial
- Life stage
- the plant is visible as a typical leaf-bearing fern (sporophyte)
- Spore-bearing leaflets
- the spore-bearing fronds are similar in size and shape to the sterile fronds
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- some leaves have roots growing from the tipAsplenium rhizophyllum)
- Leaf blade length
- 1–30 cm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blades are long and very narrow (linear)
- the leaf blades are roughly triangular
- the leaf blades are widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip (lanceolate)
- Leaf blade tip shape
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is a very long, tapering point like a tail (attenuate)
- the tip of the leaf blade is rounded
- Leaf blade width
- At least 0.5 cm
- Leaf divisions
- the leaf blade is entire (without lobes or dissections)
- Leaf lifespan
- the leaves remain green all year round, or are green in winter
- Leaf stalk color
- green
- Leaf stalk hairs
- the leaf stalk has hairs
- Leaf stalk length
- 5–120 mm
- Leaf stalk relative length
-
- the leaf stalk is more than a quarter, but less than three quarters as long as the blade
- the leaf stalk is more than three quarters as long as the blade
- the leaf stalk is up to a quarter as long as the blade
- Leaf stalk scale location
- the scales are present only on the lower half of the leaf stalk
- Leaf stalk scales
- the leaf stalk has scales
- Leaf stalk vessels
- 2 bundles
- Leaf vein branching
- the secondary veins of the leaf blade split and rejoin to form a netlike pattern
- Leaf vein tips
- the veins end in small round expanded areas, and do not reach the edge of the leaf blade
- Leaflet relative size
- NA
- Leaflet stalks
- NA
- Lobe or leaflet length
- 0 mm
- Lobe or leaflet pairs
- 0
- Lobe or leaflet shape
- NA
- Lobe or leaflet width
- 0 mm
- Plant growth form
- the leaves grow from a rhizome growing at or below the ground
- final leaf segment margin
- the topmost lobe or leaflet of the leaf blade has a smooth or lobed edge
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- ridges or ledges
- talus or rocky slopes
-
Spores or spore cones
- Sorus features
- there are no special features on the sorus
- Sorus shape
-
- the sori are long and narrow, and curved
- the sori are long and narrow, and straight
- Sporangia location
- the spores are clustered on sori on the lower surface of the leaf blade
- Sporangium type
- the sporangia are opaque without an annulus and usually without a stalk (leptosporangiate)
- Spore forms
- there is only one type of spore present
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- extirpated (S-rank: SX), potentially extirpated (code: PE)
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state endangered (code: SE)
- Vermont
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
Native to North America?
Yes
Synonyms
- Camptosorus rhizophyllus (L.) Link
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
3. Asplenium rhizophyllum L. N
walking spleenwort. Camptosorus rhizophyllus (L.) Link • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT; infrequent in eastern MA and in ME only in Kennebec County. Usually on shaded, high-pH rocks and cliffs, rarely at tree bases.
2×3. Asplenium platyneuron × Asplenium rhizophyllum → Asplenium ×ebenoides R.R. Scott is a rare spleenwort hybrid known primarily from western New England ( CT, MA, NH, VT). Given that Asplenium ×ebenoides is chiefly sterile (i.e., produces abortive spores) and occurs with both parental species, it is appropriate to refer to our material as a nothospecies. The Hale County, Alabama, populations that are fertile tetraploids have appropriately (and finally) been provided a separate name— A. tutwilerae B.R. Keener & R.J. Davenport—because those populations represent an allotetraploid species.