Cryptogramma acrostichoides facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cryptogramma acrostichoides
Scientific classification
Genus:	Cryptogramma
Species:	acrostichoides

The American parsley fern (scientific name: Cryptogramma acrostichoides) is a type of fern. It is also known as the American rockbrake. This plant is found in western North America. It loves to grow in rocky, mountainous areas. You can often spot it in cracks and crevices of rocks.

What is the American Parsley Fern?

The American parsley fern belongs to a group of plants called ferns. It is part of the Pteridaceae family. This family includes many different kinds of ferns. The fern gets its common name, "parsley fern," because its leaves look a bit like the herb parsley.

Where Does This Fern Live?

This fern is native to a large part of western North America. This includes areas from Canada down through the United States. It thrives in mountain habitats. You can find it growing in rocky places, often at higher elevations. It likes to tuck itself into the cracks of rocks. This helps it stay safe and find moisture.

How Does the American Parsley Fern Grow?

The American parsley fern grows in a clump or "tuft." It grows from an underground stem called a rhizome. A rhizome is like a root, but it can also send up new shoots. This helps the fern spread.

Two Types of Leaves

This fern has two different kinds of leaves:

• Sterile leaves: These leaves are flat and oval-shaped. They have many small lobes, which makes them look like parsley. These leaves do not produce spores.
• Fertile leaves: These leaves are longer and narrower. Their edges curl under. This curling protects tiny structures called sporangia. Sporangia are like little cases that hold the fern's spores. Spores are how ferns reproduce, similar to seeds in flowering plants.

When the spores are ready, they are released from the sporangia. The wind then carries them away. If they land in a good spot, a new fern can start to grow.

Images for kids

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  A close-up of the American parsley fern.