Creeping Spleenwort
Asplenium serra
Creeping Spleenwort (Asplenium serra) is a small epiphytic fern characterized by its distinctive serrated fronds and creeping rhizomes that allow it to spread across tree bark and rock surfaces. This delicate fern produces narrow, lance-shaped fronds with deeply toothed margins that give it its common name.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Neptalí Ramírez Marcial, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Neptalí Ramírez Marcial
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Polypodiopsida
Order
Polypodiales
Family
Aspleniaceae
Genus
Asplenium
Creeping Spleenwort belongs to the family Aspleniaceae, order Polypodiales, within the Polypodiopsida class.
Species Profile
Creeping Spleenwort (Asplenium serra) is a small epiphytic fern characterized by its distinctive serrated fronds and creeping rhizomes that allow it to spread across tree bark and rock surfaces. This delicate fern produces narrow, lance-shaped fronds with deeply toothed margins that give it its common name. As an epiphyte, it plays an important ecological role in forest canopy ecosystems by contributing to biodiversity and providing microhabitats for small invertebrates.
Creeping Spleenwort faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat destruction from urban development and agricultural expansion in its limited range. The species is particularly vulnerable due to its restricted distribution and specific habitat requirements, making it highly susceptible to localized threats and environmental changes.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Creeping Spleenwort inhabits the bark of mature trees in humid montane forests, typically growing on moss-covered trunks and branches in shaded understory conditions. It can also be found on moist, shaded rock faces and cliff crevices where consistent humidity levels are maintained.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Creeping Spleenwort faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat destruction from urban development and agricultural expansion in its limited range. The species is particularly vulnerable due to its restricted distribution and specific habitat requirements, making it highly susceptible to localized threats and environmental changes.
Agricultural expansion and land conversion
Habitat loss from urban development
Small population size and restricted range
Climate change impacts on suitable habitat
Collection pressure for horticultural trade
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Creeping Spleenwort (Asplenium serra). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/creeping-spleenwort