About Anogramma leptophylla (L.) Link
Anogramma leptophylla (L.) Link is a small annual fern that rarely grows taller than 3 inches (8 cm). It produces delicate, two-pinnate fronds; only the inner fronds are fertile. Linear spore cases grow on the undersides of its nearly circular leaflets, covering most of the leaflet surface area, and its leaf margins do not curl. This species has an oceanic temperate distribution. It can be found around the Mediterranean, across Africa, in southern and eastern Asia, in Oceania, and in Mexico, Central America, and South America. In the British Isles, it only grows on Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. It inhabits walls and banks, particularly where granite rock lies beneath the surface. It prefers bare, moist but well-drained soil, as it does not compete well with other plants. In the same habitats occupied by Anogramma leptophylla in northern Italy, other associated species include the pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria lusitanica and the Mediterranean clubmoss Selaginella denticulata. On the island of Elba, associated species include this same clubmoss, the liverwort Targionia hypophylla, and the mosses Rhynchostegiella tenella and Timmiella anomala. All of these associated plants are heat-loving, and they survive winter by growing in spots where warm water seeps out of crevices, creating a tropical microclimate.
