Asplenium petrarchae (Guérin) D.C.

Spice Detail In the field

Family: ASPLENIACEAE

Genus: Asplenium

Catalan common name: Falzia.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Cabrera. Dragonera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: DDData deficient

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Hemicryptophyte.

Habitats: Rock crevices and cliff faces. Rock creviceses.

Characteristics: A fern with fronds reaching 15 cm. in length, and glandulous. The petiole is the same or less than half the length of the frond. Lamina is oblong and dark green in colour (pinnated). Pinnae opposite, with a rounded apex and lobulate margins. Sori are elliptic with dentate indusia Can be distinguished from A. tricomanes by its much divided pinnae, and a green leaf rachis on the superior half instead of entirely blackish. In the Balearics, we have the subspecies bivalens which is very difficult to distinguish from the other subsp., is smaller and has a lanceolate lamina.