Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Northern Spleenwort

Asplenium septentrionale

(L.) Hoffmann

Northern Spleenwort

G5Secure Found in 18 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159573
Element CodePPASP021F0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumFilicinophyta
ClassFilicopsida
OrderFilicales
FamilyAspleniaceae
GenusAsplenium
Synonyms
Acrostichum septentrionaleL.
Other Common Names
Forked Spleenwort (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (1993, vol. 2), Kartesz (1994), and Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team (2024) accept Asplenium septentrionale. The generic placement of this taxon is in accordance with the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I (2016).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date2016-04-04
Edition Date2016-04-04
Edition AuthorsBittman, R. L. (1987), rev L. Kutner (5/94), rev. Treher (2016)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
In North America it is mainly a western species with isolated populations in West Virginia; it is found in Europe and Asia also (FNAEC, 1993). Based on herbarium records, the species appears to have many sites in Europe.
Range Extent Comments
Southwestern South Dakota to Arizona and Texas and along the California Sierra Nevada to southwestern Oregon, with a disjunct population in West Virginia. Based on specimen records, this species appears to be common in Europe.
Occurrences Comments
40-50 EOs currently known (estimate by J. Shevock); may be about that many more again out there. 6 reported in CA.
Threat Impact Comments
Habitat is high montane and isolated. Reports of hybridization in Europe. Easily dislodged from rock crevices by hikers and rock climbers.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species is found on cliffs of various substrates at elevations ranging from 700 to 2,900 meters (FNA 1993).
Terrestrial Habitats
Cliff
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
WyomingS2Yes
South DakotaS4Yes
OregonS1Yes
New MexicoS3Yes
TexasS1Yes
UtahS2Yes
West VirginiaS2Yes
ColoradoS3Yes
IdahoS1Yes
CaliforniaS3Yes
OklahomaS1Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesSmall (1-10%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesSmall (1-10%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
8.1.2 - Named speciesSmall (1-10%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (18)
California (7)
AreaForestAcres
Cub CreekLassen National Forest8,643
Heart LakeLassen National Forest9,349
Hixon FlatSan Bernardino National Forest8,095
IshiLassen National Forest21,805
Mill CreekLassen National Forest7,587
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
Wild Cattle MtnLassen National Forest4,965
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Candian RiverCibola National Forest7,149
Guaje CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,104
RendijaSanta Fe National Forest2,176
Oregon (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cougar BluffUmpqua National Forest5,574
Utah (3)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
0401024Ashley National Forest12,882
0401025Ashley National Forest1,471
Wyoming (3)
AreaForestAcres
Cow Creek MountainMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest8,276
Labonte CanyonMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest16,281
Laramie PeakMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest28,608
References (4)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1993b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 1. Introduction. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxi + 372 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I. 2016. A Community-Derived Classification for Extant Lycophytes and Ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54(6): 563–603.
  4. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.