Asplenium haughtonii
Asplenium haughtonii | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Division: | Polypodiophyta |
Class: | Polypodiopsida |
Order: | Polypodiales |
Suborder: | Aspleniineae |
Family: | Aspleniaceae |
Genus: | Asplenium |
Species: | A. haughtonii
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Binomial name | |
Asplenium haughtonii (Hook.) Bir, Fraser-Jenk. & Lovis[2]
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Synonyms[2] | |
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Asplenium haughtonii, also known as the Barn fern, is a species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae. It is native to Saint Helena.[3][2]
Taxonomy[]
A global phylogeny of Asplenium published in 2020 divided the genus into eleven clades,[4] which were given informal names pending further taxonomic study. A. haughtonii belongs to the "A. cordatum subclade" of the "Schaffneria clade".[5] The Schaffneria clade has a worldwide distribution, and members vary widely in form and habitat.[6] There is no clear morphological feature that unites the A. cordatum subclade. The sister species of A. haughtonii is from Socotra, and the two together are sister to the African . These three are scaly ferns of dry habitats; the other two species in the subclade are sister to them, and are walking ferns, with long undivided leaves and proliferating leaf tips.[7]
Etymology[]
The English name Barn fern is derived from a basalt hill located on the north-east of Saint Helena called The Barn. This hill is believed to carry 60% of the entire A. haughtonii population.[3]
Distribution[]
They are found at elevations of 250–600 m. It is found on the drylands of the island. It is widely distributed, although they are usually found in remote areas.[3]
Status[]
It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.[3]
Threats[]
In 2012, an emergency extension area to a runway of St Helena airport caused massive destruction of the species' habitat. Before this event, individuals were abundant in Dry Gut which comprised a large majority of the world population.[3][8]
Conservation[]
Before the development of this extension occurred, some conservationists rescued as many individuals as possible for relocation. About 1,000 individuals were moved into the St Helena Government's Endemic Plant Nursery.[3][8]
References[]
- ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Asplenium haughtonii". 12 June 2015.
- ^ a b c "Asplenium haughtonii (Hook.) Bir, Fraser-Jenk. & Lovis | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ a b c d e f Phil Lambdon (St. Helena Nature Conservation Group/ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew); Assessments), Shayla Ellick (St Helena Plant (2015-06-12). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Asplenium haughtonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- ^ Xu et al. 2020, p. 27.
- ^ Xu et al. 2020, p. 36.
- ^ Xu et al. 2020, p. 42.
- ^ Xu et al. 2020, pp. 43–44.
- ^ a b "Endemic Species | Saint Helena Island Info: All about St Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean". sainthelenaisland.info. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
- Xu, Ke-Wang; Zhang, Liang; Rothfels, Carl J.; Smith, Alan R.; Viane, Ronald; Lorence, David; Wood, Kenneth R.; Cheng, Cheng-Wei; Knapp, Ralf; Zhou, Lin; Lu, Ngan Thi; Zhou, Xin-Mao; Wei, Hong-Jin; Fan, Qiang; Chen, Su-Fang; Cicuzza, Daniele; Gao, Xin-Fen; Li, Wen-Bo; Zhang, Li-Bing (2020). "A global plastid phylogeny of the fern genus Asplenium (Aspleniaceae)". Cladistics. 36 (1): 22–71. doi:10.1111/cla.12384. S2CID 201197385.
- IUCN Red List critically endangered species
- Flora of Saint Helena
- Critically endangered plants
- Asplenium
- Plants described in 1868