Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Adiantum aethiopicum, also known as the common maidenhair fern, is a small of widespread distribution. Occurring in , , and . Known as the Common Maidenhair Fern in Australia. Adiantum aethiopicum was one of the many species first described by , in this case in his Systema naturae in 1759. The aethiopicum in this sense was the term for Africa south of the then known world, that is to say, more or less Africa south of Egypt. In South Africa the species occurs widely, though not generally profusely, mainly on moist sandstone cliffs in full shade. In the it is uncommon and grows mainly at the highest locally available altitudes (generally about 600 1085 metres).