Adiantum

They are distinctive in appearance, with dark, often black stipes and rachises, and bright green, often delicately cut leaf tissue. The sori are borne submarginally, and are covered by reflexed flaps of leaf tissue which resemble indusia. Dimorphism between sterile and fertile fronds is generally subtle. They generally prefer humus-rich, moist, well-drained sites, ranging from bottomland soils to vertical rock walls. Many species are especially known for growing on rock walls around waterfalls and water seepage areas. The highest species diversity is in the Andes. Fairly high diversity also occurs in eastern Asia, with nearly 40 species in China. Species native to North America include A. pedatum (five-fingered fern) and the closely related A. aleuticum, which are distinctive in having a bifurcating frond that radiates pinnae on one side only. The cosmopolitan A. capillus-veneris (Venus-hair fern) has a native distribution that extends into the eastern continent. A. jordanii (California Maidenhair) is native to the west coast. There is a rich Adiantum flora in New Zealand with 3 endemic species (A. cunninghamii, A. viridescens and A. fulvum) in a total of 10 recorded species. Many of these are common especially in the west and south of the islands. ==Cladistics==

243 species are accepted. • Adiantum abscissum • Adiantum acrolobum • Adiantum adiantoides • Adiantum aethiopicum – common maidenhair, true maidenhair • Adiantum × ailaoshanense • Adiantum alan-smithii • Adiantum alarconianum • Adiantum aleuticum – Aleutian maidenhair, western five-fingered Fern • Adiantum alleniae • Adiantum alomae • Adiantum amblyopteridium • Adiantum amplum • Adiantum anceps – double edge maidenhair • Adiantum andicola • Adiantum aneitense • Adiantum aquismonense • Adiantum argutum • Adiantum atroviride • Adiantum balfourii • Adiantum bellum – Bermuda maidenhair • Adiantum bessoniae • Adiantum blumenavense • Adiantum braunii • Adiantum cajennense • Adiantum calcareum • Adiantum camptorachis • Adiantum capillatum • Adiantum capillus-junonis • Adiantum capillus-veneris – black maidenhair, southern maidenhair, Venus' hair • Adiantum caribense • Adiantum caryotideum • Adiantum caudatum – walking maidenhair, tailed maidenhair, trailing maidenhair • Adiantum celebicum • Adiantum chienii • Adiantum chilense • Adiantum ciliatum • Adiantum cinnamomeum • Adiantum comoroense • Adiantum concinnum – polished maidenhair, brittle maidenhair • Adiantum confine • Adiantum cordatum • Adiantum cremersii • Adiantum crespianum • Adiantum cunninghamii • Adiantum cupreum • Adiantum curvatum • Adiantum davidii • Adiantum dawsonii • Adiantum decipiens • Adiantum decoratum • Adiantum deflectens • Adiantum delicatulum • Adiantum deltoideum • Adiantum dentatum • Adiantum diaphanum – filmy maidenhair, small maidenhair. • Adiantum digitatum • Adiantum dioganum • Adiantum diphyllum • Adiantum discolor • Adiantum dissimulatum • Adiantum dolosum • Adiantum edgeworthii • Adiantum elegantulum • Adiantum erylliae • Adiantum erythrochlamys • Adiantum excisum – Chilean maidenhair • Adiantum feei • Adiantum fengianum • Adiantum filiforme • Adiantum flabellulatum • Adiantum flabellum • Adiantum formosanum • Adiantum formosum – giant maidenhair, Australian maidenhair • Adiantum forzzanum • Adiantum fournieri • Adiantum fragile – fragile maidenhair • Adiantum fragiliforme • Adiantum fructuosum • Adiantum fuliginosum • Adiantum fulvum • Adiantum galeottianum • Adiantum gertrudis • Adiantum giganteum • Adiantum gingkoides • Adiantum glabrum • Adiantum glaucescens • Adiantum gomphophyllum • Adiantum gracile • Adiantum granvilleanum • Adiantum gravesii • Adiantum grossum • Adiantum henslovianum • Adiantum hirsutum • Adiantum hispidulum – rough maidenhair, rosy maidenhair • Adiantum hollandiae • Adiantum hornei • Adiantum hosei • Adiantum humile • Adiantum imbricatum • Adiantum incertum • Adiantum incisum • Adiantum induratum • Adiantum intermedium • Adiantum isthmicum • Adiantum × janzenianum • Adiantum japonicum • Adiantum jordanii – California maidenhair • Adiantum juxtapositum • Adiantum kendalii • Adiantum kingii • Adiantum klossii • Adiantum krameri • Adiantum lamrianum • Adiantum latifolium – broadleaf maidenhair • Adiantum latipinnulum • Adiantum leprieurii • †Adiantum lianxianense • Adiantum lindsaeoides • Adiantum lobatum • Adiantum longzhouensis • Adiantum lorentzii • Adiantum lucidum • Adiantum macrocladum • Adiantum macrophyllum – largeleaf maidenhair • Adiantum madagascariense • Adiantum malesianum • Adiantum mariesii • Adiantum mariposatum • Adiantum mathewsianum • Adiantum matogrossense • Adiantum mcvaughii • Adiantum × meishanianum • Adiantum melanoleucum – fragrant maidenhair • Adiantum membranifolium • Adiantum mendoncae • Adiantum menglianense • Adiantum mindanaoense. • Adiantum monochlamys • Adiantum monosorum • Adiantum moorei • Adiantum × moranii • Adiantum multisorum • Adiantum myriosorum • Adiantum nelumboides • Adiantum neoguineense • Adiantum nodosum • Adiantum novae-caledoniae • Adiantum nudum • Adiantum oatesii • Adiantum oaxacanum • Adiantum obliquum – oblique maidenhair • Adiantum obovatum • Adiantum ogasawarense • Adiantum olivaceum • Adiantum orbignyanum • Adiantum ornithopodum • Adiantum ovalescens • Adiantum palaoense • Adiantum papilio • Adiantum papillosum • Adiantum paraense • Adiantum parishii • Adiantum patens • Adiantum pearcei • Adiantum pectinatum • Adiantum pedatum – northern maidenhair, five-fingered fern • Adiantum pentadactylon • Adiantum peruvianum – silver-dollar fern, Peruvian maidenhair • Adiantum petiolatum – stalked maidenhair • Adiantum phanerophlebium • Adiantum phanomensis • Adiantum philippense • Adiantum phyllitidis • Adiantum platyphyllum • Adiantum poeppigianum • Adiantum poiretti • Adiantum polyphyllum – giant maidenhair • Adiantum proliferum • Adiantum pseudocajennense • Adiantum pseudotinctum • Adiantum pulchellum • Adiantum pulcherrimum • Adiantum pulverulentum – glossy maidenhair • Adiantum pumilum • Adiantum pyramidale – pyramid maidenhair • Adiantum raddianum – delta maidenhair • Adiantum rectangulare • Adiantum reniforme – lotus-leaved maidenhair fern • Adiantum reptans • Adiantum rhizophorum • Adiantum rhizophytum • Adiantum rivulare • Adiantum rhizophorum • Adiantum roborowskii • Adiantum rodriguezii • Adiantum rondonii • Adiantum ruizianum • Adiantum scabrum • Adiantum scalare • Adiantum schweinfurthii • Adiantum seemannii – Seeman's maidenhair • Adiantum semiorbiculatum • Adiantum sericeum • Adiantum serratifolium • Adiantum serratodentatum • Adiantum shastense • Adiantum shepherdii • Adiantum siamense • Adiantum silvaticum • Adiantum soboliferum • Adiantum solomonii • Adiantum × spurium • Adiantum squamulosum • Adiantum stenochlamys • Adiantum stolzii • Adiantum subcordatum – big maidenhair • Adiantum subvolubile • Adiantum sulphureum • Adiantum taiwanianum • Adiantum tenerum – fan maidenhair, brittle maidenhair • Adiantum terminatum • Adiantum tetragonum • Adiantum tetraphyllum – fourleaf maidenhair • Adiantum thongthamii • Adiantum tibeticum • Adiantum tinctum • Adiantum tomentosum • Adiantum × tracyi • Adiantum trapeziforme – diamond maidenhair • Adiantum trichochlaenum • Adiantum tricholepis – fuzzy maidenhair • Adiantum trilobum • Adiantum tripteris • Adiantum tryonii • Adiantum tuomistoanum • Adiantum urophyllum • Adiantum venustum – evergreen maidenhair, Himalayan maidenhair. • Adiantum villosissimum • Adiantum villosum – woolly maidenhair • Adiantum viridimontanum – Green Mountain maidenhair • Adiantum viscosum • Adiantum vivesii – Puerto Rico maidenhair • Adiantum vogelii • Adiantum wattii • Adiantum weatherbyanum • Adiantum wilesianum • Adiantum wilsonii – Wilson's maidenhair • Adiantum windischii • Adiantum zollingeri ==Cultivation==

Many species are grown in the horticultural trade. There are a number of tropical species, including A. raddianum and A. peruvianum. Both A. pedatum and A. aleuticum are hardy to zone 3, and are by far the most cold-hardy members of the genus. A. venustum is also cold-hardy to zone 5. A. capillus-veneris is hardy to zone 7. Hybrids, such as Adiantum × mairisii, are also popular. ==Gallery==

File:Adiantumhispidulum1web.jpg|Rough Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum hispidulum) File:Adiantum cunninghamii.jpg|Adiantum cunninghamii showing characteristic inrolled leaf margin containing sori File:Adiantum lunulatum W IMG_2337.jpg|Adiantum lunulatum in Goa, India. File:Starr 030807-0142 Adiantum raddianum.jpg|Delta Maidenhair (Adiantum raddianum) ==References==