鐵線蕨
Adiantum capillus-veneris L.
Information
Pteridaceae
Rhizome short, creeping, densely covered with scales; scales entire, narrow, brown, up to 3 mm long. Stipe bright blackish-purple to nearly black, glabrous except sparsely scaly basal part, 3–8 cm long. Lamina oblong-subdeltoid or narrower, round at apex, 5–12 by 3–5 cm, bipinnate; rachis slender, not prolonged, perfectly glabrous throughout; pinnae distinctly stalked, basal ones the largest, with a few pairs of leaflets, subtriangular, cuneate at base, up to 4 by 3 cm, the upper with a single leaflet almost the same as those of basal pinnae; leaflets with short but distinct stalks, fan-shaped, up to 1.5 cm long and wide; two basal edges entire, straight or a little recurved, forming less than right-angle; distal margin round, more or less lobed, sinus shallow or to almost the base of leaflets; lobes round, oblong or spatulate, round or subtruncate at subentire apex, softly herbaceous, or thinner; veins dichotomous, not raised, glabrous throughout. Sori round or a little elongate.
Leaves are produced from underground stems, thinly papery, double-rowed, tender, and have smooth and hairless backs; petiole glossy black and is coated with hair at the base.
Native: Southern half of the United States from California to the Atlantic coast, through Mexico and Central America, to South America, also Eurasia, the Levant in Western Asia, and Australasia.
Current: Widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world.
Temperate climates from warm-temperate to tropical, where the moisture content is high but not saturating, in the moist, well-drained sand, loam or limestone of many habitats, including rainforests, shrub and woodlands, broadleaf and coniferous forests, and desert cliff seeps, and springs. Often may be seen growing on moist, sheltered and shaded sandstone or limestone formations. Occurs in moist places by streams. On moist sandstone cliffs it grows in full or partial shade, even when unprotected.
Dispersal by spore propagation, there are spores on the top edge of the back of the leaves, which turn green to dark brown when mature, spores are dispersed from their parent colonies passively by airflow and raindrops.
Others
- Applications
Cultivated and widely available around the world for planting in natural landscape native plants and traditional shade gardens, for outdoor container gardens, and commonly as an indoor houseplant.
- Traditional uses
Used medicinally by Native Americans. The Mahuna people use the plant internally for rheumatism, and the Navajo people of Kayenta, AZ use an infusion of the plant as a lotion for bumblebee and centipede stings. The Navajo people also smoke it or take it internally to treat mental illness. In the traditional medicine of Iran, is used for jaundice therapy. Along with this, they have a wide range of medicinal uses and have been used to treat coughs, cold, and to aid in kidney function.
