Adiantum tibeticum Ching, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18(1): 104, pl. 1, f. 12–15 1980. ;
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Aghanistan to N. Xinjiang and Himalaya: Afghanistan, China South-Central, East Himalaya, Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet, West Himalaya as per POWO;
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Maidenhair Fern/ABNOV09 : 5 posts by 3 authors.

One of our most beautiful ferns. Please confirm this ID.
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris)
Mcleodganj, Dharamshala, HP
07 November 2014

size of the leaflets? pic with a ruler next to it. maidenhair fern has numerous sized leves and their classification is different


No it is NOT A. capillus-veneris – wrong group, as I said, it is in the A. venustum aggregate and is A. tibeticum.
But please invest in a copy of Khullar’s illustrated boof, Fern Flora of the West Himalaya where it will show you and introduce you to the world of fern taxonomy.


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Fern for ID/ABNOV09 : 5 posts by 3 authors.
I am posting this again with additional details. I think this is Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris). It grows commonly in upper Dharamshala at 1700-2000m.
The ruler in the picture shows cm/mm. Please advise.


yes this i can confirm. its endemic in west Bengal and a popular houseplant in most of the world. makes a good tea/infusion for hair tonic


Sorry to say this latest reply is yet more mistaken!
1. It is 100% NOT A. capillus-veneris.  If you don’t believe that [but then why bother to ask??] get a fern book to check – see Khullar’s standard work on Indian ferns – it is the no. 1 book on Indian ferns and anyone interested in them needs to get it so we can stop all the wild guess-work!  It is, after all, what books are written for!  And if you still can’t see this is not capillus-veneris, just send Prof. Khullar a photo and he’ll confirm it is the A. venustum group.
2. Neither A. capillus-veneris nor A. tibeticum are endemic to West Bengal!! Endemic means “only found in”, you meant indigenous – “native in”.
3. I am in an internet cafe so can’t look it up, but if I remember rightly A. tibeticum doesn’t occur in W. Bengal, though A. venustum, I think does.
4. Both are higher-altitude species, not down in the foothills or plains, whereas A. capillus-veneris occurs in the plains and foothills and up to upper-mid altitude.
5. The houseplants are sometimes A. capillus-veneris (both A. venustum and A. tibeticum would definitely die if cultivated in a house), but more commonly are exotic species like A. tenerum, A. raddianum and some special cultivars of A. capillus-veneris from abroad.
6.  The hair tonic (have you tested the results rather than just reading the tales from the literature?) I think applies to A. capillus-veneris – but anyway not to this species.
[er, could we lay this question to rest now?]