ebony spleenwort

noun

1. a fern, Asplenium platyneuron, of woody areas of North America, having ladderlike leaves and shiny, dark brown stems.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ebony spleenwort¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

The fronds of the Ebony Spleenwort usually face the sun, even if so doing necessitates the twisting of its stalk.

From Project Gutenberg