Myriopteris intertexta

Coastal lip fern, Coastal Lip Fern

Myriopteris intertexta (Coastal lip fern), native California perennial

(c) Timothy McNitt, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Timothy McNitt · licence

Family: Pteridaceae · Type: Perennial · Native

Myriopteris intertexta (Coastal lip fern) is a native California perennial in the Pteridaceae family, recognized by hooked young tips and scales barely exceeding margins.

Coastal lip fern is a California native perennial found in northern coastal ranges, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, southern coastal ranges, San Bernardino Mountains, Modoc Plateau, and White and Inyo Mountains in rock crevices and rock bases at elevations of 300 to 2,800 meters. Its dark green fronds are finely divided into delicate, small, round segments with intricate pale to red-brown scale patterns that cover the leaf undersides. Growing with a short-creeping rhizome, this fern produces fronds 6 to 14 centimeters long and 1.5 to 3 centimeters wide with distinctive hooked young leaf tips. The leaves are intricately 3-pinnate, with pale stipes less than 1 millimeter wide and lanceolate scales that are ciliate at the base. The plant's complex leaf architecture is especially characterized by its young frond tips curling in a distinctive hooked pattern, with scales that barely extend beyond the segment margins.

Identification and appearance

Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features are hooked young tips and scales barely exceeding margins

Habit: Rhizome short-creeping; scales pale with red-brown to +- black mid-stripe +- to margin or not. Leaf: 6--14(20) cm, 1.5--3 cm wide, dark green; stipe < 1 mm wide, scales lanceolate, ciliate at base, pale; blade 3-pinnate; segments small, +- round, abaxially concave, with pale to red-brown scales, scales < 1 mm wide, ciliate at base, covering more deeply dissected scales, barely exceeding segment margin, adaxially glabrous or with deeply dissected scales; young leaf tip hooked. Sporangia: generally obscured by scales, recurved segment margin

Habitat and range

Habitat: Crevices, bases of rocks

Elevation: 300-2800 m

Jepson bioregions: NCoR, SNH, SnFrB, SCoR, SnBr(?), MP, W&ampI

Outside California: Oregon, Nevada

How to tell it apart

vs Achillea: Myriopteris is a fern with spore cases underneath; Achillea is a flowering plant with flat-topped flower clusters.; vs Cheilanthes: These are the same - Cheilanthes is the old name for what's now called Myriopteris.; vs Notholaena: Myriopteris has fuzzy hairs or scales underneath; Notholaena has a smooth waxy powder coating.; vs Pellaea: Myriopteris undersides feel fuzzy or scaly; Pellaea undersides are smooth and leathery.; vs Pentagramma: Myriopteris has fuzzy scales or hairs; Pentagramma undersides are smooth with golden/silver coating or bare.

Frequently asked questions

Is Myriopteris intertexta native to California?

Yes. Myriopteris intertexta is native to California (recorded as native).

Where in California does Myriopteris intertexta grow?

Myriopteris intertexta occurs in the NCoR, SNH, SnFrB, SCoR, SnBr(?), MP, W&ampI bioregion(s), at elevations of 300-2800 m.

What plant family does Myriopteris intertexta belong to?

Myriopteris intertexta is in the Pteridaceae family, genus Myriopteris.

What habitat does Myriopteris intertexta grow in?

Myriopteris intertexta grows in Crevices, bases of rocks.

Related species

Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.

All Myriopteris species · All Pteridaceae

Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos

Last updated 2026-04-09

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.