Ontario Ferns website

Smooth Cliffbrake
Pellaea glabella

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella) Family: Maidenhair Fern Family (Pteridaceae)

Group: Cliffbrakes

Similar species:
  •   Purple-stemmed Cliffbrake (Pellaea atropurpurea) - larger; tiny hairs along stem.

  •   Slender Cliffbrake (Cryptogramma stelleri)

Fronds: Once divided

Habitat: Fields and Open Areas;  Rock ledges and cracks.

Native/Non-native: Native

Notes: Often confused with Purple-stemmed Cliffbrake (Pellaea atropurpurea), as they both have purple stems; but Purple-stemmed Cliffbrake has tiny hairs all along the stems - look a bit fuzzy - see comparison photo pair below.

Photographs: 54 photographs available, of which 9 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Growing in a crack in a cliff face. All of the photos on this page are from the Niagara Gorge.

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Young plants.

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Underside of leaflet.

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Smooth stem, as contrasted with Purple-stemmed Cliffbrake (Pellaea atropurpurea).

Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

Purple-stemmed Cliffbrake (Pellaea atropurpurea) (LEFT) and Smooth Cliffbrake (RIGHT) stems compared.


Range map for Smooth Cliffbrake (Pellaea glabella)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)