Foothills, montane. Rocks. Spring.
Squaw Creek, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, April 12, 2005.

Cheilanthes feei has small leaf blades from one-to-five inches long and one-half-to-two inches wide, but the rhizomes produce numerous leaves thus making the plant easy to find.  The leaves are densely hairy.  New leaves are light green; older leaves are dark green with some leaflets drying and dying red. 

See Dan Tenaglia's excellent Missouri Plants and the Flora of North America. 

The plant was first collected for science by the eminent botanist, George Engelmann, in Hillsboro, Missouri, around 1850 and was at first named Myriopteris gracilis by Antoine Fee (19th century French botanist) about 1850-1852.  A legitimate substitute name, Cheilanthes feei, was given in 1857 by Thomas Moore. The Cheilanthes genus was named by Olof Swartz.

Foothills, montane. Rocks. Spring.
Squaw Creek, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, April 12, 2005.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Cheilanthes feei