Astrolepis cochisensis ssp. arizonica
XEROPHYTIC FERN.  Leaves dark green, pinnate, narrow.  Leaflets small and round, with no more than two or three shallow lobes.  Dusted with tiny white star-shaped scales on the upper surface, and thick overlapping pointed tan or brown scales below.  Leaves loosely clustered, often arching.  Restricted to certain types of granite; grows in semi-shaded fractures on nearly vertical outcrops.  Very similar to A. cochisensis ssp. cochisensis, but plants are less compact and shrubby.  In the Empires, uncommon on pink and white granite.
FAMILY:  Pteridaceae (True Ferns)