Kostenets North (lat. Asplenium Septentrionale) a type of perennial fern of the Paporotnikov family. The generic name asplenium is associated with the Greek word Splen, meaning the spleen, and means a cure for a sick spleen. In turn, the species name Septentrionale in Latin means to the north and is due to the fact that the plant lives in the northern hemisphere.
Description
This is a small plant, reminiscent of the beams of grass rather than a fern. Grows up to 10-20 cm. Its narrow light green branches are often flooded at the ends. It is difficult to keep Kostenets North in traditional gardens, he does not like excess moisture and sometimes can disappear for no apparent reason.
This is a perennial plant up to 20 cm high with an extensive rhizome. The leaves are winter-hardy, hard, long-tailed, equilateral, one- or twice cirrus, with several wedge-lamp segments, with 2-5 teeth, collected in clusters.
Appearance
The rhizome, from which the numerous leaves of each plant depart, has a diameter of about 1 millimeter and covered with scales. The scales are narrow-sized, their color varies from black to dark reddish-brown. They are from 2 to 4 millimeters in length, from 0.3 to 0.6 millimeters in width and whole (gear) around the edges. Straps (leaf stalks located below the blades) reddish-brown at the base and fade up to green above. Their length varies from 2 to 13 centimeters, and they are about 2-5 times longer than the sheet plate itself.
Sheet plates are narrow, with parallel edges walking along the stem, with a length of 0.5 to 4 centimeters and a width of 0.1 to 0.4 centimeters. They are sharpened both at the base and on the tip, and have a leather texture. At the top, they are often divided into shields (leaflets), usually two (but sometimes four). These leaflets are located at an acute angle to the tip of the blade, giving it a fluid look. At the top, they also focus and have several widely arranged uneven teeth.
The petiole is dark red-brown at the base, fades to green up, small hairs at the base, the rest of the bare, vascular bundles.
Spore pools are oblong, eventually cover the entire lower surface of the sheet segments.
Where it grows
In natural conditions, it is found in Europe, Asia and North America, in Eurasia (European part, the Caucasus, the Urals, Western and Eastern Siberia). One of the smallest and strange fern. It belongs to the Paporotnikov family, although in appearance it is difficult to take for truth, since the northern fern is most similar to the grass.
He forms small rocky clusters and loves cleft, where it is often difficult to notice. Does not tolerate limestone substrates. Also appears on the walls, but without lime solution. It grows from an extensive, horizontal and short rhizome. Reaches up to 15 cm in height. He has hard, winter-hardy leaves ending with 2-3 teeth. Disputes develop from July to September.
Red Book
This is a relict plant of the end of the ice age. In 2014, the species was included in the list of partially protected plants, but it is not clear what its further fate will be, since rapid extinction has been observed from the end of the 20th century. All isolated and anthropogenic objects on lowlands, 80 percent of objects on highlands and 50 percent of objects in the Carpathians have been lost. Special measures for the safety of the species were not applied. In the Red Book, the plant has the status “under the threat of extinction, which is in a dangerous state”.
