Asplenium listeri C.Chr. (1905:118)

Christmas Island spleenwort

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Conservation Status

Uncertain (see below)

Originally collected by Baker in 1887 and erroneously given the junior homonym Asplenium centrifugale (Baker, 1889; Du Puy, 1993:557). It was collected once more by Ridley in or before 1906 (Du Puy, 1993:557). It was then not reported again until a specimen tentatively identified as A. listeri was collected on 29 April 1987. Christenhusz & Govaerts (2024) considered the species Extinct, with a last record of 1987 which coincides with the 1987 re-collection of the species, but may be an error for the 1887 collection. POWO (2024) treats the taxon as Extinct on Christmas Island but extant in Vanuatu.

Distribution & Habitat

Christmas Island (& Vanuatu?)

Anatomy & Morphology

Biology & Ecology

Hypodigm

Media

References

Baker, John Gilbert. (1889). Filices, pp. 360-361. In: Hemsley, W. Botting. Report on the botanical collections from Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, made by Captain J. P. Maclear, Mr. J. J. Lister, and the Officers of H.M.S. 'Egeria.'. The Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 25: 351-362.

Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2023). Uitgestorven. Op plantenjacht rond de wereld: 1-511. Sterck & De Vreese.

Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2024). Plant extinction in the Anthropocene. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae045 [Appendix S1]

Du Puy, D. J. (1993). 109. Aspleniaceae, pp. 554-558 [557-558]. In: George, Alexander S. and Orchard, Anthony E. and Hewson, H. J. (eds.). Flora of Australia Volume 50, Oceanic Islands 2. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. xxvi + 606 pp.

Gepp, A. (1900). Ferns, pp. 194-196. In: Andrews, Charles W. (ed.). A Monograph of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean): Physical Features and Geology, with Descriptions of the Fauan and Flora by Numerous Contributors. London: British Museum (Natural History). xiii+[i]+337 pp., 21 pls. [p. 194]

Hassler, Michael. (2004-2023). World Ferns. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World. Version 17.2; last update Oct. 18th, 2023. Available at: https://www.worldplants.de/ferns/ [Accessed 21 October 2023]

Ohlsen, Daniel J., Perrie, Leon R., Shepherd, Lara D. and Bayly, Michael J. (2015). Taxonomic status and distribution of the critically endangered Christmas Island spleenwort (Asplenium listeri, Aspleniaceae): it is not as rare as we thought. Australian Systematic Botany 27(6): 372-377. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB14047

POWO. (2024). Plants of the World Online (online resource). Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/ [Accessed 14 September 2024]

Walter, Kerry S. and Gillett, Harriet J. (eds.). (1998). 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. Compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, UK: IUCN – The World Conservation Union. lxiv + 862 pp. ["Ex/E"]

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