Cheilanthes eatonii
XEROPHYTIC FERN.  Leaves triangular, bipinnate (lower leaflets tripinnate), with rough white fuzz on the upper surface and small tan to brown scales below, especially on the veins.  Leaflet sometimes described as beadlike but it is not always obvious in this species.  One of the most common ferns in the Empires, found on any rock type but most abundant on limestone (shown in photo).  Grows in the shade of trees and shrubs in chaparral and desert grassland.  C. tomentosa is similar but the underside of the leaf is fuzzy, not scaly, and the leaflets are always flat.  C. lindheimeri (restricted to granite) has more broadly triangular leaves, the leaflets are closer together, leaflet segments are beadlike, and leaves are much rougher to the touch.
FAMILY:  Pteridaceae (True Ferns)