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Asplenium onopteris Aspleniaceae Irish Spleenwort
Asplenium onopteris
© Paul Hackney
Asplenium onopteris
Map updated: March 2008
Species Description:
This is an extremely rare fern which may be extinct now in Northern Ireland. It is closely related to Asplenium adiantum-nigrum but differs from that very common species by having smaller spores and narrower segments to the leaf, so that it looks more delicate. It is only known from one site near Newtownards where it has not been seen since 1946. Similar-looking plants grow on the cliffs of Binevenagh but are in fact forms of Asplenium adiantum-nigrum.
All names: Asplenium onopteris L.; Asplenium adiantum-nigrum ssp. onopteris (L.) Heufler

© National Museums Northern Ireland, 2000-2009

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