Pellaea glabella — slender cliff-brake
![Detail of leaf and/or divisions: Pellaea glabella. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pteridaceae/pellaea-glabella-ld-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Leaf: Pellaea glabella. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pteridaceae/pellaea-glabella-le-ahaines.jpg)
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Facts
Slender cliff-brake is found in western New England on high-pH cliffs, or sometimes on roadcuts, or once in Massachusetts in the mortar of a brick wall. It can be distinguished from its close relative purple cliff-brake (Pellaea atropurpurea) by the lack of hairs on the ultimate leaf segments.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), cliffs, balds, or ledges, ridges or ledges
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
-
Leaves
- Features of leaves
- there are no special features on the leaves
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- ridges or ledges
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
ssp. glabella
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
Subspecies and varieties
Our subspecies is Pellaea glabella Mett. ex Kuhn ssp. glabella.
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Pellaea glabella Mett. ex Kuhn ssp. glabella N
slender cliff-brake. CT, MA, VT. High-pH cliffs, sometimes on roadcuts and mortar of stone and brick walls. The MA occurrence was collected from human-created substrate (a brick wall) in an urban setting.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Pellaea atropurpurea:
- petiole, rachis, and abaxial surface of ultimate segments pubescent with short, curly hairs, and ultimate segments of fertile leaves mostly 10–75 mm long (vs. P. glabella, with petiole and rachis glabrous or nearly so, the abaxial surface of ultimate segments glabrous except for occasional hair-like scales near the midrib, and ultimate segments of fertile leaves mostly 5–20 mm long).