Myriopteris gracilis

Myriopteris gracilis, formerly known as Cheilanthes feei, is a species of lip fern known by the common name slender lip fern or Fee's lip fern.

Description
Myriopteris gracilis grows from a short creeping rhizome with pale to red-brown scales usually with a dark mid-stripe. The leaves are gray to pale green and 6 to 18 cm long and 1.5 to 3 cm wide. Each leaflet on the leaf is divided into lobes which are divided once more into rounded segments (3-pinnate). The undersides of the segments are concave and densely covered with short pale to dark tan hairs. The sori line the edges of the segment undersides and may be buried under the hairs. The fern reproduces asexually by apogamy.

Distribution and habitat
Myriopteris gracilis is native to much of western North America from British Columbia and Alberta to northern Mexico, and throughout much of the central United States. It is found in rocky areas, generally on calcareous rock such as limestone where it grows in cracks and crevices.

Taxonomy
Based on plastid DNA sequence analysis Myriopteris gracilis is part of the lanosa clade of Myriopteris. Its closest analyzed relatives are Myriopteris parryi and Myriopteris longipila.