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Myriopteris alabamensis

(Buckley) Grusz & Windham

Alabama Lipfern

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.145792
Element CodePPADI09020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumFilicinophyta
ClassFilicopsida
OrderFilicales
FamilyPteridaceae
GenusMyriopteris
Synonyms
Cheilanthes alabamensis(Buckl.) KunzeHemionitis alabamensis(Buckley) ChristenhuszPellaea alabamensis(Buckley) HookerPteris alabamensisBuckley
Other Common Names
Alabama lipfern (EN) Smooth Lipfern (EN)
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.
Taxonomic Comments
Grusz and Windham (2013) newly combine this species in Myriopteris. The generic placement of this taxon, in Myriopteris, is in accordance with the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I (2016).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2022-10-28
Change Date2022-10-28
Edition Date2022-10-28
Edition AuthorsTreher (2022), rev. SE RSGCN Workshop (2022)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Cheilanthes alabamensis occurs in Mexico and the United States from southern Virginia to southeastern Mexico. While this species can be common in multiple states it is considered rare or threatened in seven US states and historical or extirpated in Florida, Louisana, and North Carolina. Threats to this species include erosion of bluffs, mining, and development. There are some known site extirpations but additional occurrences have likely been extirpated over the last 100 years. This species may be underreported due to the inaccessibility of habitat. More information is needed about the species status in Mexico.
Range Extent Comments
Cheilanthes alabamensis occurs in Mexico and the United States. It occurs throughout Mexico in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz (Villaseñor 2016). In the United States, it occurs in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia (FNA 1993a). It is historical or extirpated in Florida, Louisana, and North Carolina (SE RSGCN Workshop 2022, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Occurrences Comments
Based on NatureServe Network occurrence data, herbarium records, photo-based observations, and anecdotal evidence, there are likely over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2022, SEINet 2022, iNaturalist 2022, NatureServe 2022). It may be underreported due to the inaccessibility of habitat. This species ranges from common to rare throughout its range but is considered rare or uncommon in seven states. It is frequent in Arkansas and Texas (J. Singhurst, pers. comm., 2022, T. Witsell, pers. comm., 2022)
Threat Impact Comments
Erosion on bluffs, mining/quarrying, and development are threats to this species.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species grows on dry rocks, typically limestone, outcrops, slopes, cliffs, and ledges at elevations of 100 to 2,000 m (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022, FNA 2003b).
Terrestrial Habitats
Cliff
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoSNRYes
GeorgiaS2Yes
TexasSNRYes
AlabamaS3Yes
MississippiS1Yes
FloridaSHYes
LouisianaSHYes
TennesseeSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
North CarolinaS1Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
KentuckySHYes
KansasS1Yes
MissouriS1Yes
OklahomaS1Yes
VirginiaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownExtreme - moderateHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningSmall (1-10%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarryingSmall (1-10%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
References (14)
  1. 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.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2022. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2022).
  3. Grusz, A.L. and M.D. Windham. 2013. Toward a monophyletic Cheilanthes: The resurrection and recircumscription of Myriopteris (Pteridaceae). PhytoKeys 32: 49-64. Online. Available: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.32.6733.
  4. iNaturalist. 2022. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 28 February 2022.
  5. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2022. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I. 2016. A Community-Derived Classification for Extant Lycophytes and Ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54(6): 563–603.
  8. Singhurst, Jason. Personal communication. Botanist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX.
  9. Southeastern Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need Workshop (SE RSGCN Workshop). 2022. Jon Ambrose, Keith Bradley, Malissa Briggler, John Burkhart, Emily Coffey, Todd Crabtree, Amanda Eberly, Margie Dent, Chris Doffitt, Bruce Hoagland, Amy Jenkins, Wesley Knapp, Stephanie Koontz, Lisa Kruse, David Lincicome, Gemma Milly, Sarah Norris, Carrie Radcliffe, Hanna Rosner-Katz, Al Schotz, Jason Singhurst, Diana Soteropoulos, Carlee Steppe, Samantha Tessel, John Townsend, Alan Weakley, Brenda Wichmann, and Theo Witsell. Status assessment workshop, Oct. 17-20, 2022, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA.
  10. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2022. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2022).
  11. Villaseñor, J.L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559-902.
  12. Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Working Draft of 21 May 2015. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Online. Available: www.herbarium.unc.edu/FloraArchives/WeakleyFlora_2015-05-29.pdf (Accessed 2015).
  13. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2022. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 24, 2022. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2022 pp.
  14. Witsell, Theo. Personal communication. Botanist. Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. Little Rock, AR.