Barn Fern vs Coastal Ragweed

Asplenium haughtonii compared with Ambrosia hispida

Key Differences

• Barn Fern is Critically Endangered while Coastal Ragweed is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Barn Fern	Coastal Ragweed
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Aspleniaceae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Asplenium	Ambrosia
Species	Asplenium haughtonii	Ambrosia hispida

Evolutionary Relationship

Barn Fern and Coastal Ragweed share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Barn Fern

CR — Critically Endangered

Coastal Ragweed

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Barn Fern	Coastal Ragweed
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Barn Fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Coastal Ragweed

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Cuba.

Barn Fern

The Barn Fern (Asplenium haughtonii) is a species in the genus Asplenium. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Coastal Ragweed

Coastal ragweed (Ambrosia hispida) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to the coastal dunes, sandy beaches, and cays of Cuba, the Bahamas, and the wider Caribbean region. It grows in pioneer beach and dune vegetation, often forming spreading colonies that help stabilise loose coastal sands. Like other members of the genus Ambrosia, it bears inconspicuous greenish-white flowers arranged in racemes; male flower heads produce wind-dispersed pollen that can trigger allergic rhinitis in sensitive individuals. The deeply lobed, hispid leaves are adapted to reflect intense solar radiation and tolerate salt spray. Coastal ragweed plays an ecological role in early dune succession, binding sand and enabling other plant species to establish. The genus is widespread globally, with several Ambrosia species considered noxious weeds in agricultural settings, though Ambrosia hispida is restricted to its native Caribbean coastal range. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern, reflecting adequate population size across its Caribbean coastal distribution. Pressure from coastal development and tourism infrastructure poses a localised threat to dune communities it inhabits.