Home/Species/ Fragile Rockbrake

Cryptogramma stelleri

(Gmel.) Prantl

Fragile Rockbrake

G5Secure Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.157216

Element CodePPADI0B020

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumFilicinophyta

ClassFilicopsida

OrderFilicales

FamilyPteridaceae

GenusCryptogramma

Other Common Names

Cryptogramme de Steller (FR) fragile rockbrake (EN) Steller's rockbrake (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.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-05-16

Change Date1985-09-06

Edition Date1990-11-19

Edition AuthorsWilliams, C.L., rev. D. Gries (1998)

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 to >300

Rank Reasons

This species is extremely widespread, with a high number of occurrences, although its abundance may not be great at any single ocurrence.

Range Extent Comments

Nearly circumpolar. Northern North America. Alaska to Labrador south to Oregon, Montana, Iowa, Michigan, and West Virginia, with disjunct populations in Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah. Europe, Asia. (Welsh 1974; Porsild and Cody 1980; USDA NRCS 2012).

Occurrences Comments

More than thirty collections in Canada. Very widespread, nearly circumpolar distribution. Mickel says frequent in northern North America, Europe, and Asia.

Threat Impact Comments

Human disturbance is a low-level threat, as a population occurs along the trail to a highly-used cave. (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).

Ecology & Habitat

Description

This delicate, slender perennial fern has two kinds of fronds, sterile and fertile, and grows only 1-2 together unlike Cryptogramma crispa, which has robust fronds that are crowded together on a short rhizome.

Habitat

Moist wooded slopes and rock outcrops,

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/Woodland

Other Nations (2)

CanadaN5

Province	Rank	Native
Quebec	S4	Yes
New Brunswick	S3	Yes
Alberta	S3	Yes
British Columbia	S4	Yes
Yukon Territory	S3	Yes
Labrador	S2	Yes
Nova Scotia	S2	Yes
Island of Newfoundland	S2	Yes
Ontario	S4	Yes
Nunavut	S2	Yes
Northwest Territories	S2	Yes

United StatesNNR

Province	Rank	Native
Maine	S1	Yes
Utah	S1	Yes
Minnesota	SNR	Yes
Wyoming	S1	Yes
Massachusetts	S1	Yes
Colorado	S2	Yes
West Virginia	S1	Yes
Nevada	S1	Yes
Alaska	S3	Yes
New Jersey	SH	Yes
Montana	S2	Yes
Oregon	S1	Yes
Pennsylvania	S1	Yes
New Hampshire	S1	Yes
New York	S4	Yes
Illinois	S2	Yes
Vermont	S3	Yes
Washington	S2	Yes
Wisconsin	SNR	Yes
Idaho	S1	Yes
Connecticut	S1	Yes
Michigan	S3	Yes
Iowa	S3	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (7)

Colorado (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
San Miguel	San Juan NF	64,263

New Hampshire (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Kilkenny	White Mountain National Forest	28,766

Oregon (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Hurricane Creek	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	1,606

Utah (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
418040	Uinta National Forest	1,702

Vermont (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Devil's Den 09083	Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests	9,169
Griffith Lake 09084	Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests	1,833

Wyoming (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Grayback Ridge	Bridger-Teton National Forest	295,113

References (8)

Fernald, M.L. 1950 Gray's Manual of Botany, 8th ed. American Book Company, New York. 1632 pp.
Gemlin, S.G. 1768. Novi commentarii academiae scientairum imperalis petropolitanae 12:519.
Gleason, H.A. 1952. The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 3 volumes. Hafner Press, New York. 1732 pp.
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.
Kunsman, J.R., and C.S. Keener. 1986. New records of vascular plants from Bair County, Pennsylvania. Bartonia 52:14-25.
Lellinger, D.B. 1985. A field manual of the ferns and fern-allies of the U.S. and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. 389 pp.
Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
Wherry, E.T. 1940-1941. The Ferns and Lycosphenes of Pennsylvania. Bartonia 21:11-37.