Black-stemmed spleenwort

Roots not proliferous. Stems erect, unbranched; scales black throughout, linear-lanceolate, 4--5 × 0.2--0.6 mm, margins entire. Leaves monomorphic. Petiole black throughout, lustrous, 1.5--3(--5) cm, 1/4--1/10 length of blade; indument of blackish brown, filiform scales. Blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 1-pinnate throughout, 9--20(--30) × 1--2(--2.5) cm, thick, glabrous; base gradually tapered; apex acute, not rooting. Rachis black throughout, lustrous, glabrous. Pinnae in 20--40 pairs, oblong; medial pinnae (5--)10--20 × (2--)3--5 mm; base usually with an acroscopic auricle; margins ± entire to shallowly crenate; apex obtuse. Veins free, obscure. Sori 2--5 pairs per pinna, on both basiscopic and acroscopic sides, often confluent with age. Spores 32 per sporangium. n = 2 n = 108 (apogamous).

Cliffs, sinkholes, on limestone or other basic rocks; 100--1500 m; Ala., Ariz., Ark., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Kans., Ky., La., Md., Miss., Mo., N.Mex., Nev., N.C., Okla., Pa., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., W.Va.; Mexico; West Indies in Hispaniola, Jamaica; Central America in Guatemala; South America.

Asplenium parvulum M. Martens & Galeotti is an older, but illegitimate, name because it is a later homonym of A . parvulum Hooker.

In Florida Asplenium resiliens hybridizes with A . heterochroum Kunze (4 x ), producing A . × heteroresiliens (5 x ).