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)
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
ssp. glabella
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
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