Adiantum bellum
Encyclopedia
Adiantum bellum is a species of fern
in the genus Adiantum (maidenhairs), and is native to Bermuda
.
It is 1 of 19 ferns native to Bermuda, the only native maidenhair, and the most prolific fern on the island. It is found only on Bermuda; however the IPNI
reports it also found in Guiana
.
A. bellum is deciduous. In the wild it grows in crevices, on cliffs and under rock ledges, in roadside verge, and terrestrially on hillsides. It does require moisture and shade, and is often prolific near streams if in well-drained sites. The delicate frond
s grow to 5-30 cm long, and are fan-shaped, light to medium green with black stems (stipes
and rachis
es). Benjamin D. Gilbert described a variety of A. bellum which he called walsingense; however, it is believed that this is just a variety produced by better soil and moisture conditions.
The other maidenhair fern that now grows wild on Bermuda, Adiantum capillus-veneris
, was introduced by Governor Lefroy.
Bermuda Maidenhair Fern is sometimes grown in gardens; however, it is not hardy and does better indoors.
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
in the genus Adiantum (maidenhairs), and is native to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
.
It is 1 of 19 ferns native to Bermuda, the only native maidenhair, and the most prolific fern on the island. It is found only on Bermuda; however the IPNI
IPNI
The International Plant Names Index is a database of botanical names. It indexes names of seed plants, ferns and "fern allies". Coverage is best at the rank of species and genus...
reports it also found in Guiana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
.
A. bellum is deciduous. In the wild it grows in crevices, on cliffs and under rock ledges, in roadside verge, and terrestrially on hillsides. It does require moisture and shade, and is often prolific near streams if in well-drained sites. The delicate frond
Frond
The term frond refers to a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group...
s grow to 5-30 cm long, and are fan-shaped, light to medium green with black stems (stipes
Stipe (botany)
In botany, a stipe is a stalk that supports some other structure. The precise meaning is different depending on which taxonomic group is being described....
and rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
es). Benjamin D. Gilbert described a variety of A. bellum which he called walsingense; however, it is believed that this is just a variety produced by better soil and moisture conditions.
The other maidenhair fern that now grows wild on Bermuda, Adiantum capillus-veneris
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Adiantum capillus-veneris, the Southern maidenhair fern, black maidenhair fern, and venus hair fern, is a species of fern in the genus Adiantum with a subcosmopolitan worldwide distribution...
, was introduced by Governor Lefroy.
Bermuda Maidenhair Fern is sometimes grown in gardens; however, it is not hardy and does better indoors.