Endemic Ferns
Bermuda Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum bellum)
This endemic fern is common island-wide. It can be seen growing out of walls and at cave mouths and most damp, shaded rocks and cliffs. It can vary greatly in size depending on how good the growing conditions are, and may be anywhere from a few centimetres to 45 cm (18 inches) long. Instead of flowers and seeds, all ferns produce spores. The spores of Bermuda Maidenhair Fern look like black spots on the back of the leaflets.
Bermuda Maidenhair Fern
Bermuda Shield Fern (Goniopteris bermudiana)
This endemic fern was formerly known as Dryopteris bermudiana and Nephrodium bermudiana. It was first described in Botany of the Voyage of the Challenger in 1885. Bermuda Shield Fern lives on damp rock faces and at the mouths of caves in mature woodland. It has become rare as a result of habitat destruction. It is now found at the entrance to caves and rock crevices in the Walsingham tract, between Harrington Sound and Castle Harbour. Bermuda Shield Fern is considered Critically Endangered [CR B2], and is protected under the Protected Species Act 2003.
Governor Laffan's Fern (Diplazium laffanianum)
