Sceptridium multifidum
Leather grape-fern
(c) Marko Vainu, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Ophioglossaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sceptridium multifidum (Leather grape-fern) is a native California herb in the Ophioglossaceae family, recognized by Only Sceptridium species in California, representing a circumboreal genus of unusual thick-textured ferns.
Leather grape-fern is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central coast, San Francisco Bay Area, and Warner Mountains in wet meadows, lake and stream edges, and among willows at elevations below 2,900 meters. While not flowering in the traditional sense, this fern produces distinctive spore-bearing structures on long stalks. Growing as a robust, fleshy plant with thick stems, it develops impressive fronds up to 35 centimeters wide with a leathery texture. Its trophophore (vegetative frond) has dense hairy buds and multiple layers of pinnate segments with ovate ultimate segments featuring entire to shallowly crenate margins. The plant's roots are notably thick, approximately 5 millimeters in diameter, and encircled by distinctive coarse, nearly black corky ridges.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Only Sceptridium species in California, representing a circumboreal genus of unusual thick-textured ferns
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Wet meadows, edges of lakes and streams, among willows
Elevation: < 2900 m
California counties: Kern, Tulare, Plumas, Siskiyou, Sierra, Fresno, Mariposa, Monterey, Tuolumne, Shasta, El Dorado, Placer, Humboldt, Butte, Nevada, Madera, Trinity, Yuba, Mendocino, Tehama, Calaveras, Santa Cruz
Outside California: to Alaska, eastern North America, Europe
How to tell it apart
vs Botrychium: Sceptridium leaves are thick and leathery, staying evergreen; Botrychium leaves are thinner and die back annually.; vs Cryptogramma: Sceptridium has grape-like spore clusters on a separate spike; rock-brake has spore cases under leaf margins.; vs Ophioglossum: Sceptridium has large compound divided leaves; Ophioglossum has a single simple tongue-shaped blade.; vs Botrypus: Sceptridium leaves are thick and leathery with their own stalk; Botrypus leaves are thin, stalkless.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sceptridium multifidum native to California?
Yes. Sceptridium multifidum is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Sceptridium multifidum grow?
Sceptridium multifidum occurs in Kern, Tulare, Plumas, Siskiyou, Sierra, Fresno, Mariposa, Monterey and other counties, at elevations of < 2900 m.
What plant family does Sceptridium multifidum belong to?
Sceptridium multifidum is in the Ophioglossaceae family, genus Sceptridium.
What habitat does Sceptridium multifidum grow in?
Sceptridium multifidum grows in Common. Wet meadows, edges of lakes and streams, among willows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.