Pellaea bridgesii

Bridges' cliff-brake

Family: Pteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Bridges' cliff-brake is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in granite rock crevices and slopes at elevations of 1,200 to 3,200 meters. This distinctive fern features blue-green fronds clustered on a short-creeping rhizome, with leaves 12 to 25 centimeters long and up to 2 centimeters wide. Growing with a delicate structure, the plant produces densely clustered pinnae less than 2 centimeters long, often folded lengthwise and rounded at the tips. Its rhizome is characterized by light to medium brown scales with a dark mid-stripe, creating an intricate base for the plant's growth. The fern's sporangia form marginal bands mixed with distinctive yellow exudate along the segment margins.

Habitat: Generally granite rock crevices, slopes

Elevation: 1200-3200 m

Bioregions: SNH

California counties: Tulare, Tuolumne, Placer, Plumas, Fresno, Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Inyo, Mariposa, Nevada, Madera, Sierra, Mono, Calaveras, San Francisco, Riverside

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