Dullgreen Spleenwort
Asplenium radicans
The Dullgreen Spleenwort is a small epiphytic fern characterized by its distinctive dull green fronds that grow in compact clusters on tree trunks and rocky surfaces. This species plays an important ecological role in tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems by contributing to the complex epiphyte communities that provide habitat for various invertebrates and help regulate moisture levels in forest canopies.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Bitty A. Roy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bitty A. Roy
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Polypodiopsida
Order
Polypodiales
Family
Aspleniaceae
Genus
Asplenium
Dullgreen Spleenwort belongs to the family Aspleniaceae, order Polypodiales, within the Polypodiopsida class.
Species Profile
The Dullgreen Spleenwort is a small epiphytic fern characterized by its distinctive dull green fronds that grow in compact clusters on tree trunks and rocky surfaces. This species plays an important ecological role in tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems by contributing to the complex epiphyte communities that provide habitat for various invertebrates and help regulate moisture levels in forest canopies.
Dullgreen Spleenwort faces significant threats from habitat destruction and fragmentation as tropical forests are cleared for agriculture and development. The species' specialized epiphytic lifestyle makes it particularly vulnerable to changes in forest microclimate and host tree availability. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns and temperature regimes that affect the humid conditions this fern requires.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This epiphytic fern inhabits humid tropical and subtropical forests, typically growing on tree trunks and branches in shaded understory environments. It occurs in montane cloud forests and wet lowland forests where consistent moisture and stable microclimatic conditions are maintained.
Threats
Deforestation and habitat loss
Forest fragmentation
Agricultural expansion
Climate change impacts on microclimate
Host tree decline
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). Dullgreen Spleenwort (Asplenium radicans). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/dullgreen-spleenwort