maidenhair fern

plant genus

Also known as: Adiantum

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The maidenhair fern is a plant genus, Adiantum, known for its delicate, palmately branched fronds. These ferns belong to the Pteridaceae family, which comprises about 50 genera and 950 species distributed globally, particularly in tropical and warm-temperate regions.12

Maidenhair ferns are characterized by their spore-producing structures, called sporangia, which are found on the underside of small flaps along the leaflet margins. The genus Adiantum includes around 250 species, with Adiantum pedatum (Northern maidenhair) being a notable example found in North American woods. Some species, like Adiantum capillus-veneris (southern maidenhair fern), grow on moist calcareous rocks and have fan-shaped, lobed leaflets. The term "hair fern" is a less common variation for maidenhair fern.234

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plant
Annotated classification
Polystichum, Adiantum, and Cyathea. Class Equisetopsida (horsetails, scouring rushes) Vascular plants; sporophyte differentiated into stem, leaf, and root; stems ribbed and jointed, monopodial; minute leaves whorled at the nodes; vascular tissue organized into bundles; sole living genus with
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Polystichum, Adiantum, and Cyathea. Class Equisetopsida (horsetails, scouring rushes) Vascular plants; sporophyte differentiated into stem, leaf, and root; stems ribbed and jointed, monopodial; minute leaves whorled at the nodes; vascular tissue organized into bundles; sole living genus with
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Pteridaceae
Adiantoid clade
… (about 250 species), often called maidenhair ferns, are characterized by sporangia positioned on the underside of small flaps of tissue along the leaflet margins. Northern maidenhair (A. pedatum) is found in the woods of eastern North America, with close relatives in western North America and East Asia.
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… (about 250 species), often called maidenhair ferns, are characterized by sporangia positioned on the underside of small flaps of tissue along the leaflet margins. Northern maidenhair (A. pedatum) is found in the woods of eastern North America, with close relatives in western North America and East Asia.
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