Vandenboschia boschiana

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:	HYMENOPHYLLACEAE
Species:	Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwats.
Common Name:	Appalachian Bristle Fern; Appalachian Filmy Fern
Habitat:	**
Associated Ecological Communities:	**
Growth Habit:	Herb
Duration:	Perennial
Category:	Vascular
USDA Symbol:	**
Plant Notes:	Appalachian Filmy Fern is a native evergreen perennial in the Filmy Fern family (Hymenophyllaceae). It is native to the northern third of Alabama. Appalachian Filmy Fern occurs on non-calcareous rocks in steep, deeply shaded grottos and overhangs. It is a perennial with long creeping rhizomes. The rhizomes are covered in dark branched or un-branched hairs. The unbranched hairs may be gland tipped. Leaves are widely spaced, petiolate, lanceolate in outline, and 1-2 pinnate or pinnatifid. The leaves have glandular hairs on the main veins. Spores are produced in conic involucres at the base of lobes on lateral veins. A bristle-like structure called a sporangial receptacle sticks out of the involucral cone. This species was earlier treated in the genus Trichomanes as T. boschianum J.W.Sturm ex Bosch. Plants of this species are dependent on a consistently moist environment. Populations have suffered greatly during recent droughts, with high levels of mortality. Whole populations have declined or disappeared in some locations.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:	**
Status:	Native, S3 (State Rank), G4 (Global Rank)
References:	**
Specimen:	View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Family	HYMENOPHYLLACEAE - Filmy Fern family
Genus	Vandenboschia
Species	Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwats. - Appalachian Bristle Fern; Appalachian Filmy Fern

Citation

Citation	Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki, Blumea 51(3): 242. 2006.
Basionym:	Trichomanes boschianum J.W. Sturm ex Bosch 1861.
Type:	**

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Trichomanes boschianum	Trichomanes boschianum J.W.Sturm ex Bosch, Ned. Kruidk. Arch. 5(2): 160. 1861.
Trichomanes radicans

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Cherokee, Clay, Colbert, Cullman, Etowah, Franklin, Hale, Jackson, Lamar, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Walker, Winston

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, US, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1941 - 1941

Barcode / Accession No.	County	Coll. Date	Collector & Collection No.	Herbarium & Herbarium Name Used
JSU108404	Winston	22 Aug 1949	Harvill, A.M., Jr. s.n.	JSU Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051895	Lawrence	22 Aug 1940	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 163	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051886	Colbert	s.d.	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 86	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
ALNHS00007156	Winston	10 Jun 2021	Barger, T. Wayne SP#5531	ALNHS Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwats.
UNA00051889	Hale	22 Feb 1949	Harper, Roland M. 4101	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
TROY000029382	Lamar	20 Mar 2009	Keener, Brian R. 5119	TROY Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051870	Winston	09 Aug 1976	Whetstone, R.D. 881	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051879	Franklin	07 Sep 1953	Chermock, Ralph L. s.n.	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UWAL0001253	Lawrence	31 Dec 2005	England, J. Kevin 409	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00057509	Winston	03 Jul 1949	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 29	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051885	Winston	s.d.	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 5009	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
ALNHS00001188	Winston	14 Aug 2012	Barger, T. Wayne SP#687	ALNHS Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00064664	Lamar	21 Jul 2004	Schotz, Alfred 1947	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
US01411624		s.d.	Peters, Thomas M. s.n.	US Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
AUA_ACC_55612	Winston	15 Mar 1944	RUST, H.B. 197	AUA TRICHOMANES BOSCHIANUM STURM
UWAL0052217	Winston	16 Jul 2017	Keener, Brian R. 10279	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwats.
USAM000000123	Winston	28 Jun 1972	LeLong, Michel G. 6590	USAM Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
SAMF0007460	Lawrence	08 Aug 2016	Davenport, L.J. 6457	SAMF Vandenboschia boschiana (J. W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
AMAL00005391	Cherokee	11 Jun 1987	Dickson, Catherine C. 383	AMAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UWAL0001252	Lamar	20 Mar 2009	Keener, Brian R. 5119	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051891	Hale	s.d.	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 4053	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
SAMF0002925	Winston	18 Jul 2014	Davenport, L.J. 5632	SAMF Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
JSU108403	Winston	18 Aug 1974	Whetstone, R. David 3875	JSU Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
US01411624A	Hale	30 Mar 1878	Smith, E.A. s.n.	US Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
AUA_ACC_35170	Winston	16 Aug 1978	GLICK, J.I.	AUA TRICHOMANES BOSCHIANUM STURM
USAM000000122	Winston	28 Jun 1972	LeLong, Michel G. 6590	USAM Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
AUA_ACC_31674	Winston	11 Aug 1975	SHORT, JOHN W. 393	AUA TRICHOMANES BOSCHIANUM STURM
UNA00051878	Marion	11 Jul 1969	Kral, Robert 35432	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
JSU108405	Winston	09 Aug 1976	Whetstone, R. David 8810	JSU Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051872	Winston	27 Jun 1949	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 8	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
AMAL00019610	Colbert	18 Mar 2010	Barger, T. Wayne 228	AMAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051882	Etowah	s.d.	Mohr, Charles s.n.	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
SAMF0000518	Lawrence	22 Aug 1949	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 163	SAMF Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
AUA_ACC_6715	Winston	19 Oct 1961	KOELLING, ALFRED C. 524	AUA TRICHOMANES BOSCHIANUM STURM
USAM000000120	Winston	28 Jun 1972	LeLong, Michel G. 6590	USAM Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051887	Jackson	_ Jan 1915	Graves, Edward W. 18	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UWAL0001254	Winston	24 Jun 2005	England, J. Kevin 422	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UWAL0032560	Marion	30 May 2016	England, J. Kevin 6500	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051893	Walker	10 Jul 1949	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 54	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051892	Lawrence	s.d.	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 163	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00025759	Colbert	29 Jun 1941	Shaw, James W. s.n.	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
USAM000000124	Lawrence	9 Apr 1969	Freckmann, Robert W. 3953	USAM Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
AUA_ACC_55613	Winston	17 Mar 1944	RUST, H.B. 162	AUA TRICHOMANES BOSCHIANUM STURM
AUA_ACC_27037	Winston		PETERS, THOMAS M.	AUA TRICHOMANES BOSCHIANUM STURM
UWAL0012009	Winston	20 Jul 2002	Keener, Brian R. 2292	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UWAL0017842	Winston	06 May 1978	Kral, Robert 61657	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
SAMF0000519	Winston	07 May 1959	McCullough, Herbert A. s.n.	SAMF Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051873	Walker	10 Jul 1949	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 54	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051875	Colbert	s.d.	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 86	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051881	Hale	30 Mar 1878	Smith, Eugene A. s.n.	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
USAM000000125	Lawrence	9 Apr 1969	Freckmann, Robert W. 3953	USAM Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
AUA_ACC_55610	Winston	17 Mar 1944	RUST, H.B. 163	AUA TRICHOMANES BOSCHIANUM STURM
TROY000047106	Winston	20 Jul 2002	Keener, Brian R. 2292	TROY Vandenboschia boschiana (J. W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00065345	Winston	09 Jan 2005	England, J. Kevin 261	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051874	Lamar	07 Sep 1953	Chermock, Ralph L. s.n.	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
JSU108159	Clay	15 Oct 1994	Ballard, J. Mark 5291	JSU Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UWAL0011679	Colbert	17 Jun 2013	Keener, Brian R. 7914	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00057510	Jackson	30 Jul 1949	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 120	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
AMAL00019507	Lawrence	28 Oct 2010	Barger, T. Wayne 236	AMAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
JSU108402	Winston	18 Aug 1974	Whetstone, R. David 3875	JSU Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051880	Morgan	02 Aug 1953	White, Jesse S. s.n.	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
USAM000000121	Winston	28 Jun 1972	LeLong, Michel G. 6590	USAM Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051894	Winston	20 Jan 1916	Graves, Edward W. s.n.	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UWAL0031445	Colbert	23 Apr 2011	England, J. Kevin 2837	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
ALNHS00008193	Hale	25 Sep 2022	Yawn, Noah D. NDY#278	ALNHS Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W. Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
JSU108401	Marion	04 Oct 1980	Whetstone, R. David 10390	JSU Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00057508	Winston	22 May 1949	Harvill, Jr., A.M. 5025	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00053487	Lawrence	07 Apr 1969	Thomas, Joab L. 1900	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051884	Marion	29 Mar 1939	Harper, Roland M. 3709	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
AMAL00017323	Lamar	20 Mar 2009	Keener, Brian R. 5119	AMAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UNA00051877	Winston	01 Aug 1953	White, Jesse S. s.n.	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
UNA00051888	Jackson	_ Jan 1915	Graves, Edward W. 13	UNA Trichomanes boschianum Sturm
JSU108160	Cullman	04 Jul 1997	Spaulding, Daniel D. 9681	JSU Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki
UWAL0001255	Winston	11 Aug 1975	Short, John (Jack) W. 393	UWAL Vandenboschia boschiana (Sturm) Ebihara & K. Iwatsuki

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Brian R. Keener, Ph.D.

Data last modified: 9/19/2025

Web Development: The Florida Center for Community Design + Research

A member of the University of South Florida family of PlantAtlas.org sites

Citation Information:

Keener, B.R., A.R. Diamond, T.W. Barger, L.J. Davenport, P.G. Davison, S.L. Ginzbarg, C.J. Hansen, D.D. Spaulding, J.K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2025. Alabama Plant Atlas. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research. University of South Florida]. University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

Data, text, and images licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Vandenboschia boschiana

Related Links

Classification

Citation

Synonyms

Specimens and Distribution