SafePlants

Cheilanthes wootonii - Beaded Lip Fern

Cheilanthes wootonii, commonly known as Beaded Lip Fern, is a perennial forb/herb belonging to the genus Cheilanthes.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Cheilanthes wootonii Maxon
• Family: Pteridaceae (Maidenhair Fern Family or True Fern Family)
• Rank: Species
• Synonyms: None explicitly mentioned but may be referred to as Myriopteris wootonii.
• Common Names: Beaded Lip Fern, Wooton's Lipfern, Beaded Lipfern, Wooton's Lace Fern

Distribution and Habitat

• Found in the United States, including Arizona (Santa Rita Mts., Santa Cruz Co., Santa Catalina Mts., Pima Co.), Oklahoma (Cimarron, Greer, and Kiowa counties, and also seen in Canadian County), and New Mexico.
• Grows on rocky slopes and ledges, often limestone.

Morphological Characteristics

• Perennial forb/herb (non-woody plant that is not a grass).
• Fronds are upright, triangular-shaped.
• Leaves are triangular, bright green, and tripinnate.
• Leaf surfaces are smooth and hairless above, with overlapping brown scales below.
• Leaflets have bead-like segments.
• Typically grows to 6-15 inches (approximately 18 cm) in height.
• Often grows in dense clusters or stands.

Quirky Facts

• The plant can vary in height depending on the elevation, growing up to 6 inches at lower elevations and up to 11 inches at higher altitudes.

Further Information

• Dave's Garden: A community that shares tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants.
• Getty Images: Provides stock photos of the plant.
• Discover Life: Features a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Cheilanthes wootonii.
• USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database: Provides information and photos (Patrick J. Alexander).