California cloak fern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California cloak fern |
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| Notholaena californica ssp. californica | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Notholaena
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| Species: |
californica
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The Notholaena californica is a special type of fern often called the California cloak fern. You can find it growing in dry, rocky places in southern California and Arizona in the United States. It also lives in parts of northwestern Mexico. This fern often grows in deserts and chaparral areas, which are dry lands with shrubs.
What Does the California Cloak Fern Look Like?
This fern has leaves that can be 3 to 20 centimeters long. That's about 1 to 8 inches! The leaves are divided into smaller parts called leaflets. These leaflets are also split into even smaller, rounded sections. The fern has a long, brown stem called a petiole that connects the leaf to the ground.
The California cloak fern is smooth and doesn't have any hairs or scales. Its leaves are covered in a special powdery substance. This powdery coating is called farina. It looks like a fine, grainy dust.
Different Types of California Cloak Fern
The California cloak fern comes in two main types. These types are called "chemotypes." They are different because of the color of their farina, the powdery coating on their leaves. One type has white farina, and the other has yellow farina.
You usually won't find these two types growing together. Sometimes, scientists treat them as slightly different kinds of the same fern.
Where Do These Ferns Grow?
There are two main kinds of California cloak fern, often called subspecies:
- Notholaena californica ssp. californica — This type grows in the Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges in California.
- Notholaena californica ssp. leucophylla — This type is found only in specific areas. It grows in the northwest San Gabriel Mountains and the eastern San Jacinto Mountain.
