Aspleniaceae
Asplenium

Asplenium formosum Willd.

First published in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 5: 329 (1810)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical America, Tropical Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka. It is an epiphyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is has environmental uses.

Descriptions

Aspleniaceae, Henk Beentje. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type
Type: Venezuela, Caracas, Bredemeyer in herb. Willdenow 19908 (B-W, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
On rocks or terrestrial.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome scales up to 3 mm long with a dark central stripe and pale entire borders. Rhizome erect, 3 mm diameter, with brown lanceolate attenuate
Morphology Leaves
Frond tufted, erect or slightly arching, not proliferous.
Morphology Leaves Stipes
Stipe shining dark brown to black, 0.5–6 cm long, with 2 narrow pale brown wings.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Lamina very narrowly oblong, 10–31 × 1.5–3.5 cm, 1-pinnate to 2-pinnatifid, with the lower pinnae gradually reduced, apical pinnae decrescent but terminal pinna similar to others, though with 2 incised margins.
Morphology Leaves Pinnae
Pinnae (15–)25–50 pairs, opposite or alternate, chartaceous, 0.9–1.8 × 0.4–0.8 cm, shortly petiolate, unequally narrowly oblong-rhombic, deeply incised into linear obtuse segments ± 1 mm wide, the acroscopic basal lobe parallel to or sometimes overlapping the rachis, the basiscopic margin entire, the acroscopic margin incised (see above), both surfaces glabrous.
Morphology Leaves Leaf veins
Costa running close to basiscopic margin.
Morphology Leaves Rachis
Rachis dark brown to black with a narrow pale wing, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori
Sori 1–2(–3) per pinna, ovate to elliptic, all facing acroscopically, 2–4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori Indusium
Indusium narrowelliptic, membranous, entire, 0.7–1.3 mm wide.
Figures
Fig. 5: 3–4, p. 30.
Ecology
Moist to dry forest, riverine forest; on moist rock or terrestrial; 600–1800 m
Conservation
Widespread; least concern (LC)
Note
A specimen from T 2, S of Mt Meru, Schippers T1198! has unusual low numbers of pinnae, as few as 15 pairs on fertile fronds.
Distribution
Range: Tropical America Range: Tropical Africa including Cameroon to Sudan, S to Zambia and Mozambique, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka Flora districts: U1 K 5 T2 T4 T7
[FTEA]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Colombia
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 50–1300 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Cundinamarca, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Tolima.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 50 - 1300 m.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
[UPB]

Aspleniaceae, A. H. G. Alston. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Ferns and Fern-Allies Supplement. 1959

Ecology
On rocks and trees at low levels in forest; up to 2, 000 ft. alt.
[FWTA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/67819087/72610284

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
[UPFC]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0