PROTECTING WISCONSIN'S BIODIVERSITY

 
 
   
 
Scientific Name Common Name Global Rank State Rank Federal Status WI Status

Green Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes-ramosum)

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Photo by W.C. Taylor

 

Counties with Mapped NHI Occurrences

Green Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes-ramosum), a Wisconsin Endangered plant, is found on shaded calcareous cliffs. The optimal identification period for this species is early-May through September.

Asplenium viride

 
 
 

Green spleenwort is a fern with a single, 0.5-1mm long sori, elongate, that follows the straight or slightly curved veins on the abaxial surface of the laminae. Indusia are thin, whitish, entire, and often deciduous. Rachis is 4cm long, reddish brown at base, and greenish above. It has numerous, linear-oblong, bluntly lobed, pinnate fronds that are 5-15cm long and 1.5cm wide, 9-16 pairs of pinnae that are opposite at base, but alternate toward the middle of frond and above. Its stems are short-creeping or ascending and frequently branched. Scales are linear, blackish, and strongly clathrate (lattice-like in appearance). Stipes are 1-6cm long, entirely exalate, reddish-brown at the base, and greenish above.

It can be distinguished from A trichomanes by its rachis, which is reddish brown only at the base and greenish above (vs reddish brown throughout) and its pinnae, which are more widely spaced toward the base of the blade.

Rhizomatous. Fruiting occurs in mid-summer.

Perennial. The optimal identification period for this species is early-May through September.

Associated species include Acer saccharum, Thuja occidentalis, Tilia americana, Picea glauca, Abies balsamea, Polystichum braunii, and other ferns.

Green spleenwort is found on shaded calcareous cliffs.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

Avoid direct disturbance to sensitive microsites such as seeps, cliffs, and moss-covered boulders.

Follow BMPs, especially around streams and use care near ravines, steep slopes, cliffs, rock outcrops, etc.

Buffer management around unique microhabitats such as ephemeral ponds, seeps, etc.

This species requires shaded habitat conditions, maintain high forest canopy cover.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.