About Notholaena californica D.C.Eaton
This fern species, Notholaena californica D.C.Eaton, has leaves divided into often asymmetrical leaflets that are further split into lobed segments. Excluding the long, brown petiole, total leaf length ranges from 3 to 20 centimeters. The plant is hairless, lacks scales, and its leaf is covered in a grainy exudate called farina. Like many other Cheilanthoid ferns, its fronds can curl up when dry and expand again when moisture is available. There are two distinct chemotypes of this fern, distinguishable by the color of their farina, which is either white or yellow. The two chemotypes are rarely found growing together, and they are sometimes treated as separate subspecies.
