Plant · GBIF taxon 2651826
Delta Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum raddianumAlso known as Delta Maidenhair
Delta maidenhair ferns produce cascading sprays of delicate, wedge-shaped pinnules arranged along wiry, ebony-black stipes. In their native subtropical haunts, these moisture-loving ferns anchor in damp rock clefts and along river embankments where humid microclimates shelter their paper-thin foliage from drying winds. Spores develop along the curved margins of the leaflets beneath modified reflexed flaps, dispersing with passing air currents to colonize mossy basalt and shaded seepage zones.
Shade-tolerantMoisture-lovingEpipetric
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthesis
Predators
- Snails
- Slugs
ThreatsHabitat desiccation, deforestation, and overcollection in certain wild ranges
HabitatsShaded riverbanks, moist rock crevices, coastal cliffs, and humid tropical forest floors
Life spanPerennial (indefinite via creeping rhizomes)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPolypodiales
- FamilyPteridaceae
- GenusAdiantum
- SpeciesAdiantum raddianum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Humidity Needs: Look for this fern around dripping rock faces and waterfall spray zones.
- Foliage Care: Avoid crushing the fragile fronds, which shrivel rapidly when bruised or dried.
- Wild Observation: Check the undersides of mature pinnules to see the curled protective margins harboring sporangia.
Image unavailableSame Genus 
Close Relative Starfarmer / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Close Relative Doug McGrady from Warwick, RI, USA / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
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