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Green Spleenwort

Green Spleenwort

Asplenium viride

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How common: Common

Green Spleenwort is a small tuft-forming fern of rocky places. It is found across the northern hemisphere, especially on lime-rich cliffs and in cracks of bare rock. Its leaf stalks and midrib are green, which helps separate it from similar species. The leaves die back for winter.

Did you know?

  • Its leaves die back for winter, unlike many rock-dwelling ferns that stay green.
  • The “green” in its name refers to its green midrib and leaf stalk.

About the species

Identification

Small fern in tight tufts, 5–20 cm tall. Leaves are narrow and evenly divided into many small leaflets along a green midrib. The leaf stalk is dark only at the very base, otherwise green. Leaflets are crowded, pale green, 4–10 mm long, narrowing at the base; their edges are often rolled under. Leaves arise from a short, scaly underground stem and wither for winter. Key difference from Maidenhair Spleenwort: that species has a dark brown to black stalk and midrib, while Green Spleenwort’s are green.

Plant group

Ferns, horsetails and clubmosses

Habitat

rock

About the habitat

Grows on lime-rich or other base‑rich rocks, in rock crevices and scree. Often on exposed cliffs or boulders where there is mineral-rich seepage. Most common in Lapland and the fell region. South of Oulu it is mainly eastern, reaching as far south as South Savo.

Sources

Photo: Claude Kolwelter, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6130998069

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Tunturit: rakat ja soraikot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37788

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Saniaiset ja liekokasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.37788

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viherraunioinen

See also