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Montana Field Guides

Smooth Cliffbrake - Pellaea glabella

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Native Species

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S3S4
(see State Rank Reason below)
C-value:


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

External Links

State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Pellaea glabella is scattered in central and western Montana. From 1886-2010 about 44 locations have been found. Populations appear to be secure and grow in protected areas, such as the crevices of limestone in montane to subalpine habitats.
  • Details on Status Ranking and Review
    Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella) Conservation Status Review
    Review Date = 09/06/2017
    View State Conservation Rank Criteria
    Range Extent

    ScoreF - 20,000-200,000 sq km (~8,000-80,000 sq mi)

    Area of Occupancy

    ScoreE - 26-125 4-km2 grid cells

    Number of Populations

    ScoreC - 21 - 80

    Number of Occurrences or Percent Area with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity

    ScoreC - Few (4-12) occurrences with excellent or good viability or ecological integrity

    Environmental Specificity

    ScoreB - Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common

    Threats

    ScoreD - Low

    CommentNo known threats.

 
General Description
Leaves 2–40 cm long with petiole shorter than or equal to the blade. Leaf blade linear, 1–2 times pinnate below. Pinnae ascending, narrowly elliptic, deeply lobed, or pinnate into lanceolate pinnules. Sporangia with 32 or 64 spores (Lesica 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Species Range
Montana Range Range Descriptions

Native
 


Range Comments
In MT mostly in the western half, with outliers in Phillips and Powder River counties; BC to QC south to AZ, TX and TN (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 64

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Cliff crevices, most commonly on limestone; montane to subalpine (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).


References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 2. Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms. Oxford University Press, Inc., NY. xvi + 475 pp.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
    • McGregor, R.L. (coordinator), T.M. Barkley, R.E. Brooks, and E.K. Schofield (eds). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains: Great Plains Flora Association. Lawrence, KS: Univ. Press Kansas. 1392 pp.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
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Citation for data on this website:
Smooth Cliffbrake — Pellaea glabella.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from