Astrolepis cochisensis

Astrolepis cochisensis is a species of fern known by the common name Cochise scaly cloak fern. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it occupies mainly desert habitat, often on calcareous soils.

Description
The fern grows from a short rhizome. The rhizome bears tan scales, sometimes dark at the base, which are up to 10 mm long and may or may not have hairlike small teeth on the edge. The leaves are 7 to 40 cm long, and divided into 20 to 50 pairs of pinnae (leaflets) which are sometimes lobed. The pinnae are oblong and the largest specimens typically measure 4 to 7 mm long. Some lack lobes altogether; others bear 1 to 4 lobes, asymmetrically arranged on the pinna. The lobes are broadly rounded, and the indentations between them are shallow.

The leaflets are coated in star-shaped scales on the upper surface and hairy lance-shaped scales beneath.