Welcome to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's collection of 82,850 plant images.
This site is not designed for commercial use
or publication. All images are copyrighted and are the property
of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the photographers. Back to Image Gallery
Photographer: Cressler, Alan
County: Jackson State: AL Accession date: 2018-05-18 Filename: A_C_IMG5554.JPG Slide Index: 3648962467_5f8b6b4362_o.JPG Restrictions: Unrestricted Collection: Wildflower Center Digital Library
Original Format: Digital Orientation: Portrait Shot: Close-up of the abaxial surface of a section of a frond bearing linear sori. Photographer's note: "I discovered cutleaf spleenwort at a highly disjunct location in northern Jackson County, Alabama on May 20, 1989. The main range for Asplenium abscissum, in the U.S., is peninsular Florida. In Florida the species grows rarely in limestone areas along the southeast coast. I would say the largest concentrations of the species are in limestone outcrops and cave entrances from the Citrus to Alachua Counties. The Jackson County, Alabama site is over 300 miles north of the main U.S. populations. I have checked on site numerous times over the years and the colony remains safe and stable. The colony is about 25 feet down a vertical entrance pit that is over 150 feet deep. This tropical fern is able to exist in this location because of a cave characteristic called chimney effect. The constant cave temperature in this area 56 degrees F. which represents the annual average temperature for the area. In the winter when the surface temperature is lower than 56 degrees F. the air in the cave is warmer and less dense than the colder outside air so it rises. When it is cold this cave entrance blows lots of nice warm 56 degree air keeping the plants from freezing. The colony is growing on a consistently moist degradated flowstone formation." Date Taken: 2009-06-20 NPIN Image Id: 60400
Image Verification
This image has been verified.
By: Joseph A. Marcus Date: 2018-10-08
