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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE BRACKEN-FERN FAMILY | ||
| These ferns typically grow on rocks and are anchored by hairy, scaly rhizomes. The leaves can be simple or up to 6-times compound. The leaves may be similar or the fertile and sterile leaves may appear different. The spore sacs are in clusters called sori on the underside of the leaf. The sori are on the leaf margin and may be covered by the folding over of the leaf margin. The spore sacs contain only one type of spores and are stalked. There are either 64 or 32 spores per sac. The spores are brown, black, or gray. | ||
| SMOOTH CLIFFBRAKE | ||
| LATIN NAME: Pellaea glabella ssp. occidentalis | ||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | ||
| Smooth cliffbrake grows up to 15 cm tall from compact, scaly rhizomes. The scales are reddish-brown. The fertile and sterile leaves are similar in appearance. The leaf stalks are slender, brown, and shiny. The leaves are once or twice pinnate. The margins of the fertile leaves are folded over to cover the sori. Each spore sac contains 64 spores. | ||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | ||
| Smooth cliffbrake grows in limestone cliff crevices. | ||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | ||
| This plant is found in southeastern to northern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Churchill River Upland, and Athabasca Plain ecoregions. | ||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | ||
| Smooth cliffbrake is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. This species occurs in a wide range in Saskatchewan but in a small number of localities. Some local populations are small and some larger. No immediate threats known but may occur in the future.. | ||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SMOOTH CLIFFBRAKE | ||
| * Are the sterile and fertile leaves similar? * Are the clusters of spore sacs on the margin of the leaf? * Is the leaf margin folded over? * Did you find it in northern or southeastern Saskatchewan? |
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If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found smooth cliffbrake! |
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