![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Fronds: |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spores: |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
1st Sept 2011, Capel Soar Y Mynydd, Llyn Brianne, Elenwydd Wilderness. | Photo: © RWD |
Showing relationship in size between the smaller and similar Maidenhair Spleenwort and Rusty-back. The leaflets on Rusty-back are alternate whilst those of Maidenhair Spleenwort are opposite. Fronds radiate outwards from a central point. |
1st Sept 2011, Capel Soar Y Mynydd, Llyn Brianne, Elenwydd Wilderness. | Photo: © RWD |
Presers to find a niche in walls, either limestone dry stone walls, or walls with mortar, for it likes alkaline environments. Note the rusty backs of those fronds that have curled over. |
1st Sept 2011, Capel Soar Y Mynydd, Llyn Brianne, Elenwydd Wilderness. | Photo: © RWD |
Fronds have a central backbone (rachis) that runs the length, which leaflets overlap alternately, creating a zig-zag of almost constant width of green. Initial leafless stem is short. |
1st Sept 2011, Capel Soar Y Mynydd, Llyn Brianne, Elenwydd Wilderness. | Photo: © RWD |
A fringe of white scales borders each leaflet. |
1st Sept 2011, Capel Soar Y Mynydd, Llyn Brianne, Elenwydd Wilderness. | Photo: © RWD |
A few white scales also inhabit the top surface. |
1st Sept 2011, Capel Soar Y Mynydd, Llyn Brianne, Elenwydd Wilderness. | Photo: © RWD |
The scales are pointed, and will eventually go reddish-brown. |
1st Sept 2011, Capel Soar Y Mynydd, Llyn Brianne, Elenwydd Wilderness. | Photo: © RWD |
The underside is covered both in brown spores and brown scales. |
1st Sept 2011, Capel Soar Y Mynydd, Llyn Brianne, Elenwydd Wilderness. | Photo: © RWD |
The brown scales on the underside give the plant its name, rusty-back. |
Some similarities to : Wall-rue (but that has leaflets that are rounder and in three's)and Maidenhair Spleenwort (but that has leaflets that are in opposite pairs and is more delicate than Rusty-back) and to Green Spleenwort (which although it has in alternate leaflets, they are attached to the mid-rib at a point rather than along their length) or the Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : The rusty-coloured scales on the back. There is a very definite preference for Rusty-back in the South-West of the UK and a definite avoidance of the North-East. It prefers lime habitats, either cracks in limestone dry-stone walls, or mortar cracks in walls, but also grows in limy rocks.
|
![]() |
ceterach ![]() |
⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Aspleniaceae ![]() |
![]() Asplenium (Spleenworts) |
![]() ![]() |