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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Myriopteris gracillima
lace fern

 
Scientific Name: Myriopteris gracillima (D.C. Eaton) J. Smith
English Name: lace fern
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Classification Level: Species
Species Group: Vascular Plant
Species Code: MYRIGRC
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Plantae Filicinophyta Filicopsida Filicales Pteridaceae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G4G5 (Nov 2011)
Provincial Status: S4 (Apr 2019)
BC List: Yellow
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 3 - Sensitive (2010)
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description:
Technical Description: Stems short-creeping, 4-8 mm diam.; scales uniformly brown or with poorly defined, dark, central stripe, linear-lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, persistent. Leaves clustered, 5-25 cm; vernation noncircinate. Petiole dark brown, rounded adaxially. Blade linear-oblong, 2-3-pinnate at base, 1-2.5 cm wide; rachis rounded adaxially, with scattered linear scales, not pubescent. Pinnae not articulate, dark color of stalk continuing into pinna base, basal pair not conspicuously larger than adjacent pair, usually equilateral, appearing sparsely pubescent or glabrous adaxially. Costae green adaxially for most of length; abaxial scales multiseriate, linear, truncate at base, inconspicuous, the largest 0.1-0.4 mm wide, loosely imbricate, not concealing ultimate segments, long-ciliate, cilia usually confined to base. Ultimate segments oblong or rarely oval, beadlike, the largest 1.5-3 mm, abaxially densely covered with branched hairs and small, ciliate scales, adaxially with scattered, branched hairs or glabrescent. False indusia marginal, slightly differentiated, 0.05-0.25 mm wide. Sori ± continuous around segment margins. Sporangia containing 64 spores. (FNA vol. 2, 1993)
Similar Species:
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence)
Global Habitat Comments: Cliffs and rocky slopes, usually on igneous substrates
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Elevation (m) (min / max): Provincial: 
Known Pests:
Pollen Vector:
Pollinator: Sporulating summer to fall
Dispersal:
   
 
Provincial Inventory
Inventory Priority:
Ownership of occurrences (Known locations):
Inventory Need:
 
Economic Attributes
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Disjunct, more common elsewhere:
Peripheral, major distribution elsewhere:
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author:
Last Updated:
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
Last Literature Search:
   
References and Related Literature
Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Penny. 2002. Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia, 2nd ed. B.C. Conserv. Data Centre, Terrestrial Inf. Branch, Victoria. 358pp.
Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Pojar, eds. 2000. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Vol. 5, Dicotyledons (Salicaceae through Zygophyllaceae) and Pteridophytes. B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Minist. For., Victoria. 389pp.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1993a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 2. Pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xvi + 475 pp.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. Species Summary: Myriopteris gracillima. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 7, 2026).