California Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum jordanii) Login         


        Description
  • Height 8 in. - 2 ft.
  • This is a common but graceful fern made up of small, widely-separated half-circle leaflets.
  • Stems are dark and shiny and grow a bit over 1 foot long. Fronds overlap, covering larger areas in a wall of green.
  • Found on shaded moist hillsides.
  • CA native
  • AKA Maidenhair Fern, California Maidenhair
  • Brake Fern Family (Pteridaceae)



Brown stems are about 1 foot tall, with half-circle "leaflets" loosely arranged along them.



Stems curve gracefully. Small leaflets have many radiating veins.



Maidenhair Fern hangs down along moist banks and rocky walls in a graceful display.

   Photo Gallery (28 ) click any picture to enlarge
    

This is a single Maidenhair frond. The dark wiry stem is twice divided (branching twice) before ending in delicate green leaflets.

Maiden Hair fern has very thin stems, which reminds people of a maiden's hair. The stem is wiry, however, which allows the leaflets to stand away f ...

Leaflets are roughly half circles, with many veins radiating from a common point at the base. Margins are finely toothed, and also have some minor ...

This fern is just emerging - it starts as a "fiddlehead" and then unwinds as its leaflets sprout.

Maidenhair's scientific name is [i]Adiantum[/i], which is Greek for "unwettable". Water forms into droplets on its impervious surface, making a bea ...