Pellaea andromedifolia
Encyclopedia
Pellaea andromedifolia, with the common name Coffee fern, is a species of cliff brake
fern
. It is native to California
in the United States and Baja California
in Mexico.
s that many other ferns have. Its leaves bear rounded or oval-shaped segments widely spaced along the rachis
. Each segment may curl under along its edges. The leaves are green when new, then turn red, purplish, or brown.
Some individuals of this species are diploid and reproduce sexually, while some are triploid or tetraploid
and reproduce by apogamy (growth of a plant from a gamete without fertilization).
, and California chaparral and woodlands
habitat
s. It is able to take long periods without water, when it will shrivel and appear dead. Then shortly after rainfall new growth appears quickly from the ground. It is not crown forming, but spreading slowly and forming clumps.
Pellaea
Pellaea is a genus of ferns in the family Pteridaceae. The name is derived from the Greek word πελλος , meaning "dark," and refers to the bluish-gray stems. Members of the genus are commonly known as cliffbrakes...
fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
. It is native to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in Mexico.
Description
This plant does not have the immediately recognizable sharply pointed leaflets on its frondFrond
The term frond refers to a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group...
s that many other ferns have. Its leaves bear rounded or oval-shaped segments widely spaced along the rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
. Each segment may curl under along its edges. The leaves are green when new, then turn red, purplish, or brown.
Some individuals of this species are diploid and reproduce sexually, while some are triploid or tetraploid
Polyploidy
Polyploid is a term used to describe cells and organisms containing more than two paired sets of chromosomes. Most eukaryotic species are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes — one set inherited from each parent. However polyploidy is found in some organisms and is especially common...
and reproduce by apogamy (growth of a plant from a gamete without fertilization).
Habitat
Pellaea andromedifolia is found on dry Western facing sunny banks, in coastal, Mojave DesertMojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, and California chaparral and woodlands
California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s. It is able to take long periods without water, when it will shrivel and appear dead. Then shortly after rainfall new growth appears quickly from the ground. It is not crown forming, but spreading slowly and forming clumps.