Myriopteris wootonii

Wooton's lip fern, Wooton's Lip Fern

Family: Pteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Wooton's lip fern is a California native perennial found in the Providence and New York Mountains in the desert mountain region on rocky outcrops at elevations of 1,600 to 1,800 meters. With a long-creeping rhizome, this delicate fern features fronds 10 to 20 centimeters long and 2 to 3 centimeters wide, divided into multiple intricate pinnate segments. Growing with a slender stipe only 1 to 2 millimeters wide, the fern has small, approximately round leaf segments that are densely covered with ciliate, lance-linear scales on the underside. Its leaf segments are distinctively concave on the abaxial surface, creating a unique textural landscape of overlapping scales that partially obscure the sporangia. The fern's tan to brown rhizome scales contribute to its subtle, earthy appearance in its rocky desert mountain habitat.

Habitat: Rocky outcrops

Elevation: 1600-1800 m

Bioregions: DMtns (Providence, New York mtns)

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