Pteridophyta: Polypodiales

Aspleniaceae - Spleenwort family

Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria.

Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca

Description of the family

Epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial plants. Rhizome creeping, suberect or erect, short or long, often stoloniferous. Stipe not articulated to the rhizome. Fronds monomorphic, widely spaced or tufted. Lamina simple or variously pinnately dissected, with or without a proliferous bud at or near the lamina apex; veins free or anastomosing at the margins. Sori linear (in ours), elongated and dorsally along a vein or shortened and near marginal; indusium narrow or obsolete.

Worldwide: 1-10 genera and c.720 species, cosmopolitan.

Malawi: 1 genus and 39 taxa.

Links to genera: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

Genus	Content
Asplenium L.	Description, Image

Other sources of information about Aspleniaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Aspleniaceae
Flora of Burundi: Aspleniaceae
Flora of the DRC: Aspleniaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Aspleniaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Aspleniaceae
Flora of Zambia: Aspleniaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Aspleniaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Aspleniaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Aspleniaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Aspleniaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Aspleniaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Aspleniaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Aspleniaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Aspleniaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Aspleniaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Aspleniaceae
Wikipedia: Aspleniaceae
Plants of the World Online: Aspleniaceae
Tropicos: Aspleniaceae