Myriopteris gracilis
Slender lip fern, Slender Lip Fern
Family: Pteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Slender lip fern is a California native perennial found in the Transverse Ranges, White and Inyo Mountains, and Desert Mountains on limestone crevices, slopes, and cliffs at elevations of 1,200 to 3,000 meters. Its pale green fronds reach 6 to 15 centimeters long with delicate, three-times-divided segments that are small and round. Growing with a short-creeping rhizome, the fern has a slender stipe approximately 1 millimeter wide, adorned with pale or tan hairs that have distinctive orange constrictions. The fronds are characterized by sparse white to brown hairs on the upper surface and dense hair coverage on the underside, with light to red-brown scales featuring a dark central stripe. Its tiny round leaf segments are slightly concave on the lower surface, creating a distinctive textural appearance when examined closely.
Habitat: Generally limestone crevices, slopes, cliffs
Elevation: 1200-3000 m
Bioregions: TR, W&I, DMtns
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.