Pentagramma glanduloviscida

San diego silverback fern, San Diego Silverback Fern

Family: Pteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

San diego silverback fern is a California native perennial found in southern Peninsular Ranges in San Diego County, growing in generally shaded sites near rocks and boulders at elevations of 100 to 400 meters. This distinctive fern features a blade that is adaxially sticky with conspicuous stalked glands and abaxially covered in dense white exudate. Growing with a unique rhizome structure, the fern's leaf is approximately longer than wide, with proximal pinnae smaller than the remainder of the leaf, creating a pinnately divided appearance. Its leaf blades are characterized by white glandular surfaces and an unusual sticky texture that sets it apart from other ferns. The fern's complex chromosome structure (2n=60) contributes to its specialized adaptation to rocky, shaded habitats in coastal southern California.

Habitat: Generally +- shaded sites, near rocks, boulders

Elevation: 100-400 m

Bioregions: s PR (San Diego Co.)

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