''Asplenium difforme'' is a plant in the

spleenwort ''Asplenium'' is a genus of about 700 species of ferns, often treated as the only genus in the family Aspleniaceae, though other authors consider '' Hymenasplenium'' separate, based on molecular phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, a differen ...

group of

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except ...

s. Its habitat is cracks in rocky headlands beside the sea. It is found in eastern Australia and

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together w ...

. Its fronds are thick and waxy to protect it from sea spray.

Taxonomy

The specific epithet ''difforme'' refers to the irregular shape of the fronds. This species first appeared in scientific literature in the year 1810, in the ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as ''Prodromus Flora Nova ...

'', published by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown. A global phylogeny of ''Asplenium'' published in 2020 divided the genus into eleven clades, which were given informal names pending further taxonomic study. ''A. difforme'' belongs to the "''Neottopteris'' clade", members of which generally have somewhat leathery leaf tissue. Its closest relative in the phylogeny was '' A. dimorphum''.

References

* difforme Ferns of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of Norfolk Island Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) {{Polypodiales-stub