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A widespread fern from Africa, the Indian Ocean Island, Asia and tropical America. Allied
to A. capillus-veneris. I got it from Edulis, the label said: "Hardy maidenhair from Mexico. Shade. Rare." Sue Olsen says: "Epithet is after French naturalist Jean Poiret (1755 - 1834). The rhizome is short- to long-creeping. Deep cranberry-black, smooth stipes are one-fourth to one-half of the frond length. Oval to narrowly triangular blades are bipinnate to tripinnate and carry the stipe colour into the base of the stalked, softly scalloped pinnules. Marginal sori are oblong beneath the false indusia and infused with an unusual (for the genus) yellow farina. The native range for this species extends from Mexico to South America and across the oceans to Africa in the east and China in the west. Mexican maidenhair grows in various habitats from rain forests, to pine and oak woods, to dryish rocky slopes. This interesting species is in cultivation in the gardens of dedicated specialists in England and should establish in comparable maritime climates od the U.S. Pacific Coast. Hopefully it can be successfully introduced to the somewhat less accomodating but warm eastern sections of the country as well. Until passing the gardenworthy-hardiness test, it should be protected from extremes of heat and cold with appropriate precautions extended as necessary for long-term maintenance." |
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| 24th February 2019 | ||