About Pellaea andromedifolia (Kaulf.) Fée
This fern species, Pellaea andromedifolia, does not have the sharply pointed leaflets on fronds that are immediately recognizable in many other ferns. Its leaves carry rounded or oval-shaped segments spaced widely apart along the rachis. Each segment may curl under along its edges. New leaves are green, then mature leaves turn red, purplish, or brown. Some individual plants of this species are diploid and reproduce sexually, while others are triploid or tetraploid and reproduce via apogamy, which is the growth of a new plant from a gamete without fertilization. Pellaea andromedifolia grows on rocky outcrops and dry slopes within coastal habitats, the Mojave Desert, and California chaparral and woodlands habitats. It can survive long periods without water, during which it shrivels and appears dead. Shortly after rainfall occurs, new growth quickly emerges from the ground. This species does not form a crown, instead it spreads slowly and grows in clumps.
