Asplenium ruta-muraria — wall-rue spleenwort
![Plant form: Asplenium ruta-muraria. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Aspleniaceae/asplenium-ruta-muraria-ha-ahaines-c.jpg)
![Plant form: Asplenium ruta-muraria. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Aspleniaceae/asplenium-ruta-muraria-ha-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Leaf: Asplenium ruta-muraria. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Aspleniaceae/asplenium-ruta-muraria-le-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Leaf: Asplenium ruta-muraria. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Aspleniaceae/asplenium-ruta-muraria-le-efarnsworth.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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeFacts
Wall-rue spleenwort is found in Appalachia and New England as well as parts of Europe and Asia. In our area it is confined to western New England (with a disjunct population in Rhode Island), where it inhabits high-pH rocks and cliffs. In some places it also invades masonry walls.
Habitat
Cliffs, balds, or ledges, ridges or ledges
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are no special features on the leaves
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- ridges or ledges
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
- Massachusetts
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
- Vermont
- uncommon to fairly widespread (S-rank: S3S4)
var. cryptolepis
- Connecticut
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Asplenium montanum:
- leaf blades usually with 5-10 pairs of leaflets, shiny green in life, with triangular-lanceolate to triangular-ovate leaflets (vs. A. ruta-muraria, with leaf blades usually with 2-5 pairs of leaflets, dull blue-green in life, with rhombic to obtriangular-obovate leaflets).
Synonyms
- Asplenium cryptolepis Fern.
- Asplenium ruta-muraria L. var. cryptolepis (Fern.) Wherry
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
4. Asplenium ruta-muraria L. NC
wall-rue spleenwort. Asplenium cryptolepis Fern.; A. ruta-muraria L. var. cryptolepis (Fern.) Wherry • CT, MA, VT; primarily western New England, the RI occurrence very disjunct. High-pH rocks and cliffs. Reports of this species from RI are based on a specimen (at BRU) that was collected by someone who lived in East Greenwich, which has been misinterpreted as the location of the collection. The specimen is not known to have been collected in RI.
4×5. Asplenium ruta-muraria × Asplenium trichomanes → Asplenium ×clermontae Syme is an extremely rare spleenwort hybrid known from VT. It resembles A. trichomanes in general outline (i.e., it has once-pinnately compound leaf blades), but the leaflets are lobed (especially the larger ones) and the rachis is green (rather than brown-red to black-brown).