maidenhair

American  

[meyd-n-hair] / ˈmeɪd nˌhɛər /

noun

1. any fern of the genus Adiantum, the cultivated species of which have fine, glossy stalks and delicate, finely divided fronds.

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Etymology

Origin of maidenhair

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; maiden, hair

Example Sentences

Q: Can someone help resolve a problem I am having with my maidenhair ferns?

From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2023

Jianbin Yan, a plant physiologist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences’s Agricultural Genomics Institute, and colleagues found similar parallels in a maidenhair fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 22, 2022

And then, sure, like I like to take on a fun challenge now and again with a more difficult plant to care for — but I have never been successful keeping a maidenhair fern alive.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2021

The good news is that the Mid-Atlantic region is a fern nirvana in that we can grow ferns from more northern and southern regions — for example, the cold-loving ostrich fern or the Southern maidenhair.

From Washington Post • Jul. 8, 2015

Beside this tiny stream, wherever enough earth collected for root-hold, colonies of plants grew, wild grape and little palms, maidenhair fern, hibiscus, and tall pampas grass with feathery rods raised above the spike leaves.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck