Bradley's spleenwort - Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Bradley's spleenwort is a tufted perennial fern that grows in tight clusters. To identify it, look for these specific features:

( Asplenium bradleyi ) is a rare, small evergreen fern found primarily in the east-central United States. Named after Professor Frank Howe Bradley, who first discovered it in Tennessee in 1871, it typically thrives in the specialized, harsh environment of acidic rock crevices on sandstone or granite cliffs. Key Characteristics & Identification

: It is listed as endangered in states like Illinois , Indiana, and Pennsylvania, and threatened in Ohio .

: Major threats include habitat destruction from quarrying and mining, mechanical disturbance from rock climbing, and overshading caused by invasive vines or tree growth.

This fern has a fascinating evolutionary history known as . It originated as a hybrid between the Mountain Spleenwort ( A. montanum ) and the Ebony Spleenwort ( A. platyneuron ).

Due to its very specific habitat requirements and rare occurrence, it is considered a species of special concern in many states.