Synonym: Cryptogramma obtusa.
Family:
Pteridaceae.
Region: North America, Rocky Mountains, Canada.
Habitat: in rocky areas, cliffs, crevices, talus slopes, alpine regions; prefers well-drained soils, often in shaded or semi-shaded microhabitats.
Ecology: contributes to soil stabilization in rocky habitats; supports biodiversity by providing habitat for small invertebrates.
Use: medicinal; horticultural, in rock gardens for its delicate, lacy fronds and ability to thrive in challenging environments.
BotanyFern; small to medium-sized; deciduous; forms clumps or tufts.
Rhizome: short; creeping; covered with dark brown or blackish scales.
Leaves: dimorphic; sterile leaves are broader with finely dissected, bright green segments; fertile leaves are more slender, with linear, sporangium-bearing segments; 10 to 30 cm long; leaflets pinnate or bipinnate, with obtuse (rounded) tips, giving the species its name.
Sori: on the undersides of leaves; covered by the reflexed edges of the pinnae.