Notholaena californica

California cloak-fern

Family: Pteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

California cloak-fern is a native perennial found in southern California, the southern Channel Islands, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, desert mountains, and Sonoran Desert on dry rocky slopes, rock crevices, and under rock ledges at elevations of 200 to 1,300 meters. Its distinctive fern fronds are three-pinnate, 3 to 13 centimeters long, with brown to black leaf axes and segments covered in white to yellow exudate. Growing with a rhizomatous habit, the fern has rigid scales with near-black midribs that are finely ciliate along the margins. Its fern segments display an asymmetrical growth pattern, with lower pinnae more developed on the basal side and sparse white to yellow exudate dots on the leaf surface. The fern is particularly adapted to rocky, arid environments, thriving in hidden crevices and protected ledges across southern California's rugged landscapes.

Habitat: dry rocky slopes, rock crevices, under rock ledges

Elevation: 200-1300 m

Bioregions: SCo, s ChI, TR, PR, DMtns, DSon

California counties: Riverside, Los Angeles, Imperial, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura

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