# Fee's lip fern (*Myriopteris gracilis*) Fee's lip fern is a delicate plant with beautiful, wavy leaves. It loves to grow in shady spots and can be found in rocky areas. This fern is special because it can survive in dry places where other plants might not. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Rocky areas ![Fee's lip fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cheilanthes_feei_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cheilanthes_feei_1.jpg) ## Appearance The Fee's lip fern has small, delicate fronds that are often silvery-green or gray-green. Its fronds are deeply cut, giving them a lacy appearance, and they often have fine hairs on their undersides, making it visually distinct from many smooth ferns. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Polypodiopsida - **Order:** Polypodiales - **Family:** Pteridaceae - **Genus:** Myriopteris ## Interesting facts - Ferns like this one are ancient plants, appearing on Earth long before flowers! - Instead of seeds, Fee's lip fern reproduces using tiny, dust-like spores. - Its 'lip' name refers to the tiny shield-like covers over its spores! - This hardy fern can survive in very dry, sunny spots where few other ferns can live. ## Special abilities - **Drought Resilience:** Fee's lip fern can curl its fronds tightly when dry, protecting itself from water loss and bouncing back when rain returns. - **Rock Gripper:** Fee's lip fern has tough, fibrous rhizomes that help it anchor firmly in tiny cracks of rocky cliffs and ledges. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-20 cm - **Spread:** 10-30 cm - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (*Rhizophagus irregularis*) — fungi help its roots absorb vital soil nutrients. - **Eaten by:** Gray garden slug (*Deroceras reticulatum*) — slugs may occasionally graze on its fronds. - **Depends on:** Soil bacterium (*Bacillus subtilis*) — relies on various soil bacteria for nutrient cycling. ## Traits - [Nonvascular](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nonvascular): This trait characterizes plants lacking specialized vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) for transporting water and nutrients. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Fee's lip fern? Compare frond shape, how the leaflets are arranged, the stalk, and any spore clusters you can see. A single detached leaflet often hides the plant's overall growth pattern. Fern Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Fee's lip fern? 5-20 cm ### How wide does Fee's lip fern spread? 10-30 cm ### Is Fee's lip fern edible? No ### Is Fee's lip fern toxic? None ### What is Fee's lip fern's lifecycle? Perennial ### Where is Fee's lip fern usually found? Rocky areas ## Where to spot - [Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gibraltar-rock-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/red-rock-canyon-national-conservation-area) — Nevada, US · Nature Reserve - [Fruita Rural Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fruita-rural-historic-district) — Utah, US · Historic District - [Mount Carroll Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-carroll-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District - [Walnut Canyon National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/walnut-canyon-national-monument) — Arizona, US · National Park - [Jewel Cave National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jewel-cave-national-monument) — South Dakota, US · National Park [View all places to see Fee's lip fern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fees-lip-fern) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Fee's lip fern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fees-lip-fern)