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Hairy Lipfern
Cheilanthes lanosa
Hairy lipfern is endangered in the state of Connecticut.
• Family: Pteridaceae
• Habitat: rock ledges and rocky slopes
• Height: 6-14 inches
• Location of spores: underside of fronds, partly covered by the rolled edges of the leaf
• Stipe (leaf stalk): dark brown or purple, hairy, wiry, and brittle
• Growth pattern: asymmetric clump
• Persistence: deciduous
next rare plant
The photo above shows a cultivated plant, growing in the New England Wild Flower Society's botanical garden.
Underside of a frond, showing the spore-bearing structures (brown).
Closeup of the underside of a frond. The round, dark brown structures are sporangia, each of which contains 64 spores. Note the long tan hairs on both leaf and stipe.