Asplenium vespertinum

Western spleenwort, western spleenwort, western spleenwort

Family: Aspleniaceae · Type: Fern · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Western spleenwort is a California native fern found in southern coastal California, the San Gabriel Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in base areas of overhanging boulders at elevations of 200 to 1,000 meters. Producing dark red-brown to purple-brown stipes that are shiny and slender, this fern grows with clustered leaves 8 to 30 centimeters long. Its linear blade typically contains 20 to 30 pairs of pinnae, each pinna oblong and 5 to 12 millimeters long with shallowly lobed or toothed margins. The fern's delicate fronds are characteristically narrow, generally 1 to 2.5 centimeters wide, with pinnae that have a distinctive serrated appearance. Its sporangia form small sori generally 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters long, typically arranged in 2 to 6 pairs on each pinna.

Habitat: Base of overhanging boulders

Elevation: 200-1000 m

Bioregions: SCo, SnGb, PR (exc SnJt)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.