Christella puberula, synonym Thelypteris puberula, is a species of fern known by the common name showy maiden fern. The variety Ch. puberula var. sonorensis is known by the common name Sonoran maiden fern.Jepson. Accessed 12.1.2011
It is native to southwestern North America and Central America, from the foothills and deserts of California and Arizona south through Mexico to Costa Rica. It grows in canyons, streambanks, and seeps in several types of habitat. It is found at in elevation.
Description Christella puberula produces a number of regularly shaped, equally spaced green leaves with numerous long, flat, lance-shaped leaflets. One leaf may exceed 1.5 meters in length, and the thick leaflets may be over 20 centimeters long. The undersides of the leaflets are hairy, especially on the indusia covering the spore-bearing sori.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment: Thelypteris puberula var. sonorensis Flora of North America Thelypteris puberula - U.C. Photo gallery