Clermont'S Spleenwort vs Hart'S Tonguefern

Asplenium clermontiae compared with Asplenium scolopendrium

Key Differences

• Clermont'S Spleenwort is Extinct while Hart'S Tonguefern is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clermont'S Spleenwort	Hart'S Tonguefern
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Tracheophyta	Tracheophyta
Class same	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order same	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family same	Aspleniaceae	Aspleniaceae
Genus same	Asplenium	Asplenium
Species	Asplenium clermontiae	Asplenium scolopendrium

Evolutionary Relationship

Clermont'S Spleenwort and Hart'S Tonguefern share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Asplenium.

Conservation Status

Clermont'S Spleenwort

EX — Extinct

Hart'S Tonguefern

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clermont'S Spleenwort	Hart'S Tonguefern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clermont'S Spleenwort

Habitat

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

Range

Found in United States.

Hart'S Tonguefern

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Clermont'S Spleenwort

Clermont's Spleenwort, Asplenium clermontiae, is a small fern in the family Aspleniaceae with a very restricted distribution in the Indian Ocean islands, believed to occur in the Mascarene archipelago. The genus Asplenium, the spleenworts, is one of the largest and most diverse fern genera globally, with species adapted to rock faces, tree bark, and moist forest floors across tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. Clermont's Spleenwort, like many island-endemic Asplenium species, likely grows epiphytically on tree trunks or lithophytically on humid rock faces in montane forest, protected from the desiccating conditions of lower elevations. Island endemic ferns in the Mascarenes face severe threats from habitat loss driven by agricultural conversion, invasive plant species that alter forest structure, and introduced herbivores that destroy forest understory vegetation. Many spleenwort species have very small total populations confined to remnant forest patches. Asplenium clermontiae is considered rare and potentially threatened, though formal assessment data on its exact population size and trend are limited. Conservation of the species depends on the protection and restoration of humid forest habitats on the islands where it occurs.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States