About Myriopteris wootonii (Maxon) Grusz & Windham
Myriopteris wootonii produces fronds from a long, creeping rhizome covered in tan to brown scales. Mature fronds are 10 to 20 centimeters long and 2 to 3 centimeters wide, with a narrow stipe (leaf stem) 1 to 2 millimeters thick. The leaf blade is 3 to 4-pinnate, with small, nearly round leaflets. The abaxial (lower) surface of these leaflets is concave and densely covered in cilia and lanceolate-linear scales, while the adaxial (upper) surface is glabrous. When viewed from above, the frond has the overall appearance of a flat arrangement of tiny green pebbles. This visual characteristic is shared by several other Myriopteris species, including Myriopteris covillei and Myriopteris intertexta, which have overlapping ranges with this species. Myriopteris wootonii is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It grows in sunny locations on rocky mountain outcrops, at elevations between 1600 and 1800 meters.
