Brittle maidenhair
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Adiantum tenerum
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Pteridaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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A delicate accent fern on exposed moist limestone in rock gardens and on the banks of water features such as natural pools. Identified by Fair Child Tropical Botanic Garden as a native that does especially well in shade in this brochure. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Limited to exposed moist limestone in rockland hammocks with constantly high humidity. The lowered water table in Miami-Dade County makes this a difficult species to incorporate into restoration projects. |
Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts. |
Description: |
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Medium herbaceous fern with delicate leaflets (pinnae). |
Height: |
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About 12-18 inches in height. About as broad as tall. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate. |
Range: |
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Miami-Dade County; disjunct in central and northern peninsular Florida; West Indies, Central America and Venezuela. |
Habitats: |
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On moist limestone in rockland hammocks. |
Soils: |
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Moist limestone rock, with or without an accumulation of humusy material. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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Low; requires moist substrate and high humidity and is intolerant of long periods of drought. |
Light Requirements: |
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Light shade. |
Flower Color: |
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N/A. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores. |
Flowering Season: |
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All year. |
Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous spores. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from spores. |
Comments: |
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In the right situations, this rock-loving fern will recruit readily in the garden. It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida. |
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George D. Gann in habitat, Dominican Republic, 2011
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George D. Gann in habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida, 2005
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