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Cheilanthes microphylla (Sw.) Sw.
Southern lip fern

Cheilanthes microphylla
Copyright by: Jimi Sadle, 2007
In habitat, Russell Key, Everglades National Park

Family: Pteridaceae

Group: Pteridophyte

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: South Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Reported for Alabama and Mississippi, but these may represent misidentifcations of C. alabamensis.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

NatureServe Global Status: Secure

State of Florida Status: Endangered

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: Rare

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Critically Imperiled

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

South Florida History and Distribution: Ranked as critically imperiled in Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann et al. 2002; pp 235-237) based on one occurrence at Everglades National Park. This species is still known from that site and it has also been discovered in several other locations since 2002.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Comments: For more images, visit Flora of Kaxil Kiuic (Yucatan, Mexico).

See also, IRC’s report Vascular plant species of management concern in Everglades National Park (Gann 2015), page 62.

Other data on Cheilanthes microphylla available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Cheilanthes microphylla has been found in the following 5 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Cape Romano - Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
Matheson Hammock Park Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Present Native
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge Present Native

Cheilanthes microphylla has been found in the following 3 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Collier County Native
Miami-Dade County Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated
Monroe County (Mainland) Recorded as Present in Error

Cheilanthes microphylla has been found in the following habitat :
Shell Mound

All Images:

Cheilanthes microphylla
Copyright by: Jimi Sadle, 2007
In habitat, Russell Key, Everglades National Park
Cheilanthes microphylla
Copyright by: George D. Gann
image from Peterson s.n., FTG
collected in Citrus County, Florida, 1935
Cheilanthes microphylla
Copyright by: John Kunkel Small, 1931
From Ferns of Florida (in the public domain)