Pellaea truncata
Spiny cliff-brake, Spiny Cliff-Brake
(c) Fluff Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Fluff Berger · licence
Family: Pteridaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Pellaea truncata (Spiny cliff-brake) is a native California herb in the Pteridaceae family, recognized by wavy-crenate margins often with white edges.
Spiny cliff-brake is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native fern found in the eastern desert mountains, including Providence and New York Mountains, in rocky granite and igneous rock crevices at elevations of 1,200 to 1,900 meters. Its olive-green fronds grow 15 to 30 centimeters long and 4 to 11 centimeters wide, with distinctively narrow triangular blades divided into linear to oblong segments 4 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with a short-creeping rhizome branched to 8 centimeters, the fern produces clusters of fronds with slender stipes approximately 1 millimeter wide. Its leaf segments have wavy-crenate margins, often appearing whitish, especially on sterile fronds, with small pointed tips (mucros) giving the plant its spiny character. The fern's fronds spread out with pinnae that are generally not overlapping, creating an intricate and delicate architectural form.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 3 species; key features are wavy-crenate margins often with white edges
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally in crevices of or at bases of granite (in California) or igneous rock
Elevation: 1200-1900 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego, Marin, Ventura
Outside California: to Colorado, Texas, Baja California
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Myriopteris: Flip a leaflet - Pellaea is smooth underneath, Myriopteris feels fuzzy or scaly with hairs or scales.; vs Adiantum: Pellaea has thick, stiff leaflets; Adiantum leaflets are delicate and paper-thin.; vs Pentagramma: Pellaea spore cases cluster only at vein tips; Pentagramma has them scattered along the entire vein length.; vs Lonicera: Pellaea is a fern with separate leaflets; Lonicera is a woody vine or shrub with flowers.; vs Euphorbia: Pellaea is a fern; Euphorbia has milky sap and small flowers with colorful bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pellaea truncata native to California?
Yes. Pellaea truncata is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Pellaea truncata grow?
Pellaea truncata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego, Marin, Ventura, at elevations of 1200-1900 m.
What plant family does Pellaea truncata belong to?
Pellaea truncata is in the Pteridaceae family, genus Pellaea.
Is Pellaea truncata rare or endangered?
Pellaea truncata carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S3.
What habitat does Pellaea truncata grow in?
Pellaea truncata grows in Generally in crevices of or at bases of granite (in California) or igneous rock.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Pellaea andromedifolia — Coffee fern
- Pellaea brachyptera — Sierra cliff-brake
- Pellaea breweri — Brewer's cliff-brake
- Pellaea bridgesii — Bridges' cliff-brake
- Pellaea mucronata — Bird's-foot fern
- Pellaea mucronata var. californica — Bird's foot fern
- Pentagramma glanduloviscida — San diego silverback fern
- Pentagramma maxonii — Desert silverback fern
- Pentagramma pallida — Frosty silverback fern
- Pentagramma rebmanii — Rebman's silverback fern
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.