Wall-rue - Asplenium ruta-muraria

Alternative names
Wall Rue
Description

Small tufted fern, the fronds triangular-ovate in outline and long stalked, Pinnae no more than 5 on each side, yet the lowest is itself pinnate, with up to 5 segments, pinnae quickly decreasing in complexity as you move towards the top. Other features: shape of segments very variable but each is toothed above the middle.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Mortared walls, and rocky places

When to see it

All year round, spores ripe June to October

Life History

Evergreen perennial

UK Status

Common throughout Britain but less so in the north.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 99 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Wall-rue
Species group:
Ferns & Horsetails
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Polypodiales
Family:
Aspleniaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
174
First record:
06/06/2006 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
03/01/2024 (Hollingworth, Jane)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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Photo of the association

Chromatomyia scolopendri

The larvae of the fly Chromatomyia scolopendri mine the leaves of the ferns: Hart's-tongue, Wall-rue and Polypody. They form long, narrow mines (up to 10cms) which often follow a vein. The mines are normally greenish and upper surface. Pupation is usually in the mine.