Adiantum reniforme (lotus-leaved maidenhair fern) is a species of fern in the genus Adiantum (maidenhairs), family Pteridaceae.[1] It grows in sheltered rock crevices and on walls. It is native to East Africa, Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands, Comoros and the Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde islands, as well as a few relictual stations in the Tibesti (Chad).[2]

Lotus-leaved maidenhair fern
The underside of the leaf showing the marginal indusium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Pteridaceae
Genus: Adiantum
Species:
A. reniforme
Binomial name
Adiantum reniforme

Two varieties of the species are recognized:[3]

A similar taxon of Adiantum that is found only in the Three Gorges area of Wanzhou, Chongqing, China was formerly regarded as a Tertiary relictual variety of this species, and recognized as Adiantum reniforme var. sinense. This variety has since been elevated to species level as Adiantum nelumboides. It is threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction caused by the Three Gorges Dam.[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ Christenhusz, Maarten J. M.; Zhang, Xian-Chun; Schneider, Harald (2011). "A linear sequence of extant families and genera of lycophytes and ferns" (PDF). Phytotaxa. 19: 7–54. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.19.1.2.
  2. ^ "Adiantum reniforme L." Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Identification of the relationship between Chinese Adiantum reniforme var. sinense and Canary Adiantum reniforme". BMC Plant Biology. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Morphological and anatomical adaptations to dry, shady environments in Adiantum reniforme var. sinense (Pteridaceae)". PeerJ. Retrieved 22 May 2024.