Adiantum reniforme (lotus-leaved maidenhair fern) is a species of fern in the genus Adiantum (maidenhairs), family Pteridaceae.[1] It grows in sheltered rock crevices and on walls. It is native to East Africa, Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands, Comoros and the Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde islands, as well as a few relictual stations in the Tibesti (Chad).[2]
| Lotus-leaved maidenhair fern | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The underside of the leaf showing the marginal indusium | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Family: | Pteridaceae |
| Genus: | Adiantum |
| Species: | A. reniforme |
| Binomial name | |
| Adiantum reniforme | |
Two varieties of the species are recognized:[3]
- Adiantum reniforme var. reniforme, known from the Canary Islands and Madeira Islands.
- Adiantum reniforme var. asarifolium, found in continental Africa and the Indian Ocean islands (Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros, and Réunion).
A similar taxon of Adiantum that is found only in the Three Gorges area of Wanzhou, Chongqing, China was formerly regarded as a Tertiary relictual variety of this species, and recognized as Adiantum reniforme var. sinense. This variety has since been elevated to species level as Adiantum nelumboides. It is threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction caused by the Three Gorges Dam.[4]