Asplenium L.
Indusium well-developed; sporangia and sori as in family. Rhizome short, ascending; stipites clustered; paleae us. conspicuous, hairs us. present. Fronds pinnate to decompound, rarely simple; lamina us. firm to coriac.; veins free or with occ. anastomoses. A subcosmopolitan genus with over 650 spp.
Key
2
Fronds decumbent to prostrate, often rooting at tips and forming offset plants; stipes and rhachis very slender; lamina pale green, delicate; lateral pinnae not > 2 cm. long, flabellate-cuneate
Fronds erect to ascending; stipes and rhachis firm, stouter; lamina firm to coriac.; lateral pinnae not flabellate-cuneate
3
Lateral pinnae seldom more than 15, seldom as much as 4 cm. long, obtuse, subcoriac., grey- to grass-green, of ovate-oblong order, us. with scattered substellately arranged paleae on under surface; basal pinnae often with a rounded lobe or pinnule at base of upper margin; indusium pale, sori often confluent; plant of limestone rocks
4
Fronds seldom > 20 cm. long, us. much shorter: lateral pinnae c. 30-80, not > 10 mm. long, us. Shorter
7
Pinnae coarsely toothed or lobed, subfalcate; obliquely cuneate at base, with flabellate veinlets
Pinnae rather finely and regularly toothed, elliptic-acuminate; more regularly narrowed to base, with pinnate veinlets
9
Pinnae with pinnules of obovate-cuneate order; sori 2-5 per pinnule (very small forms of A. bulbiferum key to here)
13
Upper surface of lamina very glossy; rhizome shortly creeping; sori 3-9 mm. long; plant rarely bearing bulbils
Upper surface not or only slightly glossy; rhizome erect or ascending; sori 2-4 mm. long; plant often bearing bulbils
