Plant
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 & preyPhotosynthesis
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)
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.
Same Genus (c) Jacqui Geux, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jacqui Geux · cc-by
Close Relative Starfarmer / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Close Relative Doug McGrady from Warwick, RI, USA / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Keep collecting in Fauna
Found in Collections
Ecosystem chain Pro
Secret Garden
Delta Maidenhair Fern is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
Unlock to track progress
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.