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Pellaea glabella

Mett. ex Kuhn

Smooth Cliffbrake

G5Secure Found in 14 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.136516
Element CodePPADI0H060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumFilicinophyta
ClassFilicopsida
OrderFilicales
FamilyPteridaceae
GenusPellaea
Other Common Names
Pelléade glabre (FR) smooth cliffbrake (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 Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-06-13
Change Date1984-01-19
Edition Date2024-06-13
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Pellaea glabella is a wide-ranging perennial fern on calcareous cliffs and ledges occurring throughout North America from Quebec west to British Columbia and the Northwest Territories in Canada south to northeast Alabama west to Arizona in the United States with four subspecies. Threats include development, quarrying, rights-of-way maintenance activities, recreational activities, succession, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Pellaea glabella occurs throughout North America from Quebec west to British Columbia and the Northwest Territories in Canada south to northeast Alabama west to Arizona in the United States (FNA 1993, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). See individual entries for distribution details about the four subspecies. Range extent was estimated to be over 6 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, quarrying, rights-of-way maintenance activities, recreational activities, succession, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Pellaea glabella grows calcareous cliffs and ledges, usually on limestone substrates (FNA 1993).
Terrestrial Habitats
Bare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OklahomaSNRYes
WyomingSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
ColoradoS3Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
VermontS3Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
ConnecticutS1Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
West VirginiaS2Yes
MissouriS5Yes
NevadaSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
MontanaS3Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
UtahS2Yes
TexasS1Yes
IndianaSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
MarylandS1Yes
VirginiaS3Yes
IdahoSNRYes
North DakotaS3Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
IllinoisS4Yes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecSNRYes
OntarioS4Yes
ManitobaS2Yes
Northwest TerritoriesSHYes
AlbertaS3Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
SaskatchewanS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (14)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Montana (6)
AreaForestAcres
Big LogHelena National Forest8,954
Big Snowy Mountains WsaLewis and Clark National Forest88,003
Middle Fork Judith WsaLewis and Clark National Forest81,131
North AbsarokaCuster National Forest21,063
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
Tenderfoot - Deep CreekLewis and Clark National Forest85,614
Wyoming (7)
AreaForestAcres
Cloud Peak ContiguousBighorn National Forest113,757
Devils CanyonBighorn National Forest37,416
Leigh CreekBighorn National Forest19,180
Little BighornBighorn National Forest133,949
Middle ForkShoshone National Forest51,772
Walker PrairieBighorn National Forest62,434
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
References (7)
  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). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. 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.
  5. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.