Synonym: Asplenium galeottii Fee; A. leptophyllum Fee; A. menziesii Hook. & Grev.; A. monanthemum Murray

Indigenous

Greek mono-, one, +ant/zeros, anther, the pollen-bearing part of a stamen, in reference to the usually single sorus on the pinnae.

Plants medium-sized, terrestrial. Rhizomes decumbent. Fronds stiffiy upright, 18-42 x 1-3 cm, occasionally proliferous on upper stipes or lower rachises. Stipes close, clustered, short, 1/10-1/5 frond length, dark brown to black, shiny, scales at base lanceolate. Blades 1-pinnate, long, narrow, linear-lanceolate; rachises dark brown to black, glabrous, shiny. Pinnae 20-60 pairs, some-what oblong-rectangular, strongly dimidiate, medium to dark green, coriaceous, acroscopic basal portion slightly auriculate, distal margins crenate, tips rounded or crenate, lower pinnae distant and shorter, semicircular. Sori usually only 1 per pinna on lower margin, sometimes more, and 1-2 on upper margin. Indusia thin.

Uncommon terrestrial or occasionally epi-phytic fern on wet, shady slopes and stream banks, 1 ,000-2,030 m, on Maui and Hawai 'i. Its distribution also includes Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Azores.

Asplenium monanthes, a 1-pinnate, long-linear, narrow, stiffiy upright fern is recognizable by the presence of usually only a single sorus per pinna on its lower portion and by plantlets often found on lower rachises and upper stipes.