Example ⟳ +
An example collection, so you can see what this page does. Nothing added here is kept: leaving deletes it.

Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh.

Pteridaceae · Arizona, New Mexico +25 · listed by its family as a fern or moss

English names not checked: Wikidata's common names were not read for this page.

Photographs not checked iNaturalist and GBIF media were skipped (not asked) when this page was built. Not asked, or not answered, is not "none": nothing here claims there is none. Why the site says it this way.
Add one to my plants
Sow seed
Habitat figures
Cold floor (1 night in 100)
-1.4°C
Record low -6.8 °C in 44 years, at a typical spot in the range NASA POWER
Warmest month, mean daily high
26°C
May at the habitat CHELSA
Rain a year (median across the range)
792mm
6 months of 25 mm or more in the median year CHELSA
Open-sky light
29–47DLI
Lowest to highest month (DLI) CHELSA
The year in your months, northern hemisphere
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Wet summers: the rain comes June to September, read as a summer growing season. rain rule, CHELSA
Northern hemisphere unless you set your site. The chart is in the habitat's months.

Summary

Myriopteris aurea, the golden lip fern or Bonaire lip fern, is a medium-sized fern native to the Americas, a member of the family Pteridaceae. Unlike many members of its genus, which are relatively lacy, its leaf is only dissected into lobed leaflets (pinnae), which are hairy both above and below. One of the cheilanthoid lip ferns, it was classified in the genus Cheilanthes as Cheilanthes bonariensis until 2013, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes. It typically grows on dry, rocky slopes, and ranges from the southwestern United States through Mexico, where it is common and widespread, south and east through Central and South America as far as Chile and Argentina. More on Wikipedia ›

Quoted from Wikipedia, "Myriopteris aurea", CC BY-SA 4.0; its title is one of this species' older names (GBIF Backbone), which is the proof that the article is this species'.

Cultivation

Grouped as a fern or moss, listed under the family Pteridaceae in the archetype table, and Kew describes it as “rhizomatous geophyte or lithophyte”.

Seasons

The rain rule reads a summer growing season: 70% of the median year's rain (514 mm of 716 mm) falls in June to September, warmer than the year (wet-season mean 18.1 °C against a yearly mean of 15.9 °C). Months are the habitat's, northern hemisphere; shifted six months for a southern-hemisphere collection: December to March.

Rain

716 mm in the median year at the habitat, 514 mm of it June to September. Wettest month July at 145 mm, driest months (2 at 12 mm). Across the grid cells of the range the year's total runs 466 mm to 1,525 mm, the 10th to 90th percentile of each cell's own year. The median of the cells' own yearly totals, 792 mm, is the year's rain at the top of the page; the 716 mm here is the median year's, the twelve monthly medians added, which the rain rule reads. Habitat calendar, northern hemisphere; median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA.

Light

Open sky over the habitat: 29 to 47 mol/m²/day across the year (daily light integral, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA; the lowest 10th-percentile month across the cells is 23, the highest 90th-percentile month 52).

Warmth and air
Temperature

Coldest: the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range is -1.4 °C, the absolute minimum -6.8 °C, 368 frost nights in 44 years, 8.4 a year (NASA POWER daily minima). Warmest: the 99th-percentile day is 42.6 °C. Monthly means: the coldest month's mean nightly low 5.5 °C in January (across the grid cells of the range 0.9 °C to 11.0 °C), the warmest month's mean daily high 25.5 °C in May (median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). Cold floor: -1.4 °C, which is the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range (NASA POWER).

Humidity

Relative humidity at the habitat: 47 to 63% across the year (monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). A figure about the air, saying nothing about how the plant takes water.

How this section is made

Each card states this species' habitat figures with their sources, and what two fixed rules read from them; nothing here says what the plant does, wants or tolerates. The rules · the terms.

Seasons. Read from the median year of CHELSA monthly rainfall and mean temperature across the grid cells of the range: the rain rule takes the smallest set of months carrying 70% of the rain and calls it winter when its mean is more than half a degree below the year's, summer when more than that above, and neither in between; the temperature rule, used only under 120 mm, names the cooler six months when they are at least a degree cooler than the other six. Months are shifted for the other hemisphere only where the temperature curve moves 4 °C or more and the habitat lies 10° or more from the equator. A reading of the curves, not an observation of the plant.

Rain. CHELSA monthly precipitation, median year across the grid cells of the range. The rain that falls where the species is recorded; nothing about how the plant takes water.

Light. CHELSA shortwave radiation at each envelope cell, a daily-mean flux taken to a daily total and converted at 2.07 mol of PAR per MJ. The sky over the habitat, measured; what reaches a plant under a rock, a shrub or a shade cloth is not.

Temperature. NASA POWER daily minima and maxima over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, lapse-corrected +23 m to its elevation; CHELSA monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range. The cold floor is the 1st-percentile night named in its sentence. Not a measured survival limit for any plant in a pot.

Humidity. CHELSA relative humidity, median year across the grid cells of the range.

Group. Listed under the family Pteridaceae in the archetype table, and Kew describes it as “rhizomatous geophyte or lithophyte”. A group is taken only where Kew's description of the species agrees with the table's listing. The table gives no figure and no prose; the cold floor is the habitat's alone.

Climate across the habitat

Habitat months, northern hemisphere

Habitat climate of Hemionitis bonariensis through the yearWarmest month May, mean daily high 26 °C; coldest month January, mean nightly low 5.5 °C; 716 mm of rain in the median year (the twelve monthly medians added). Medians across the range, from CHELSA; the extremes at the edge from NASA POWER. Habitat months, northern hemisphere.-10°0°10°20°30°40°50°frost42.6° 99th-percentile day, NASA POWER-6.8° lowest night in 44 years, NASA POWER°C · day and nightcold quarter050100150200250300mm rainDLI 29–47RH 47–63%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
day night rain medians and 10th–90th percentile across 449 habitat cells, CHELSA cold quarter: the three months around the coldest month's mean nightly low extremes over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, from NASA POWER, marked at the edge, in no month DLI, mol/m²/dayRH %each on its own scale
Figures by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day °C18 / 14–2320 / 16–2422 / 18–2725 / 20–2926 / 21–3024 / 19–3123 / 19–2923 / 19–2922 / 18–2821 / 18–2620 / 16–2419 / 14–23
Night °C6 / 1–116 / 2–128 / 4–1210 / 6–1412 / 9–1713 / 10–1813 / 9–1913 / 9–1812 / 10–1710 / 7–158 / 4–136 / 2–11
Rain mm20 / 11–5715 / 9–5112 / 5–5321 / 7–7349 / 14–109111 / 39–256145 / 74–289132 / 69–264126 / 60–27156 / 33–13717 / 10–7812 / 6–60
DLI30 / 25–3436 / 30–3943 / 36–4547 / 39–4945 / 40–5240 / 34–4939 / 33–4438 / 34–4235 / 31–3833 / 30–3631 / 26–3429 / 23–32
RH %52 / 47–6250 / 45–6148 / 42–6047 / 40–6152 / 40–6360 / 46–6662 / 52–6862 / 54–6863 / 54–6961 / 50–6756 / 47–6453 / 47–63
How this section is made
Each figure is the median across the 449 grid cells holding the 569 in-range records, with the 10th–90th percentile span across those cells after the slash where it differs. A dash is a month one or more of those cells has no figure for in the grid (a variable CHELSA does not carry there), so no median is taken rather than one over fewer cells. Extremes and elevation were read at a typical spot in the range, cell 1158:1361 (32.075, -111.925). Over 44 years there: absolute minimum -6.8 °C, 1st-percentile night -1.4 °C, 99th-percentile day 42.6 °C. Normals: CHELSA V2.1 1981–2010 climatology, 0.05° cells (each the mean of ~36 1 km pixels). Across the range: median and 10th–90th percentile of each month across the 449 distinct grid cells holding 569 of the 569 in-range records; extremes and elevation at the typical cell 1158:1361 (its coldest month's mean nightly low nearest the median across cells); its position is the cell centre. Extremes: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell 32.00_-111.875, lapse-corrected +23 m at 6.5 °C/km. Elevation: ETOPO 2022, 785 m (cell mean).

Natural habitat

Native range as published by WCVP; the marker is where the records are densest and decides nothing: the climate was read across the cells of the in-range records placed well enough to read one, not at the marker.
Openly licensed records inside the range, framed on where they fall.

This species has no GBIF key of its own. Its records are GBIF's under the keys of the names Kew's World Checklist holds as this plant: 2651762 (Cheilanthes bonariensis (Willd.) Proctor, 1532 records), 3749941 (Notholaena bonariensis (Willd.) C.Chr., 51 records), 3915500 (Acrostichum bonariense Willd., 0 records), 9737591 (Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh., 4 records). No name was matched to GBIF; the keys are read from Kew's synonymy. How.

NativeArizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Mexico Southeast, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Galápagos, Peru, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Chile North · regions are the level-3 units of the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, as Kew's World Checklist records ranges, some under historical names such as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia (how).
Map marker19.292, -99.357 · in the densest population, 214 records (20% of those in range)
Kew's description“rhizomatous geophyte or lithophyte” · “seasonally dry tropical” · quoted from WCVP, RBG Kew (CC BY 4.0); not derived here
Evidence usedThe map marker rests on all 1072 georeferenced records inside the native range; the climate across the range on the 569 of them placed to within 10 km; the map shows only the 970 openly licensed ones, which alone would put the marker 2 km away. 503 in-range records are placed to worse than 10 km, or with no stated accuracy (admitted only as a person's observation to three decimals), and stay on the map but off the climate.
Other GBIF keysRecords also from GBIF's key 2651762 (Cheilanthes bonariensis (Willd.) Proctor): Kew's file holds it as Cheilanthes bonariensis (Willd.) Proctor (synonym under Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh.); 1,532 records, from GBIF's download.Records also from GBIF's key 3749941 (Notholaena bonariensis (Willd.) C.Chr.): Kew's file holds it as Notholaena bonariensis (Willd.) C.Chr. (synonym under Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh.); 51 records, from GBIF's download.Records also from GBIF's key 3915500 (Acrostichum bonariense Willd.): Kew's file holds it as Acrostichum bonariense Willd. (synonym under Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh.); 0 records, from GBIF's search API on the day of the build.Records also from GBIF's key 9737591 (Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh.): Kew's file holds it as Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh. (accepted); 4 records, from GBIF's download.
How this section is made
The map marker: the openly licensed record nearest the middle of the densest 1° population of the 1072 in-range records; it decides nothing. Records outside the native range, living specimens and records marked introduced are not used; which records count.

Photographs

Not checked. iNaturalist and GBIF media were skipped (not asked) when this page was built. Not a statement that none exist.

Similar habitat climate The 6 nearest by mean daily high, mean nightly low and rain, month by month. How.

Bouvardia ternifolia Bouvardia ternifolia Scarlet bouvardia Photo: CC BY, John ThomlinsonBidens aurea Bidens aurea Arizona beggarticks Photo: CC BY, Duarte FradeGarrya ovata Garrya ovata Eggleaf silktassel Photo: CC BY, Andrea Villarreal RodríguezLaennecia sophiifolia Laennecia sophiifolia Leafy Horseweed Photo: CC BY, CK2AZDyssodia pinnata Dyssodia pinnata Asteraceae Photo: CC BY, Erick Vélez SánchezTagetes micrantha Tagetes micrantha Licorice marigold Photo: CC BY, Andrew Tree

Other Hemionitis 74 in the reference

Hemionitis acrostica Hemionitis acrostica Pteridaceae Photo: CC BY-SA, Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz Hemionitis alabamensis Pteridaceae Hemionitis arifolia Pteridaceae Hemionitis aspera Pteridaceae Hemionitis atropurpurea Pteridaceae Hemionitis bradburyi Pteridaceae Hemionitis breweri Pteridaceae Hemionitis bridgesii Pteridaceae Hemionitis calidirupium Pteridaceae Hemionitis californica Pteridaceae Hemionitis calomelanos Pteridaceae Hemionitis cardiomorpha Pteridaceae all 75 ›

Names & registers

Also known as Cheilanthes ferruginea; Notholaena aurea; Notholaena chiapensis; Notholaena rufa var. minor; Notholaena rufa var. major and 7 more. (WCVP, RBG Kew)

IPNIPOWOWikidataWFOWikipedia

The record

Family
Pteridaceae
Described by
(Willd.) Christenh.
Native to
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas +24
Wild records
1072 in range · 970 open

Every figure here is derived from public data by a stated rule and names its source; nothing about this species is written for its page by a person or by AI, apart from the marked, credited quotations. How →

Where this page came from built 2026-10-22
Kew's names (WCVP) kew.names answeredas of 2026-06-04Kew's entry Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh. (plant_name_id 3217849), read from Kew's names file
GBIF species record gbif.species not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF synonyms gbif.synonyms not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF common names gbif.vernacular not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
WCVP native range wcvp.distribution answeredas of 2026-06-04
GBIF occurrence records gbif.occurrences answeredasked 2026-10-22this species has no GBIF key of its own; its records are read under GBIF's keys for the names Kew's file holds as this plant, never by a name matched; GBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.hbdw64, of 2026-10-21; 1532 records of GBIF's key 2651762, Cheilanthes bonariensis (Willd.) Proctor (Kew's file holds it as Cheilanthes bonariensis (Willd.) Proctor (synonym under Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh.)): the GBIF download; 51 records of GBIF's key 3749941, Notholaena bonariensis (Willd.) C.Chr. (Kew's file holds it as Notholaena bonariensis (Willd.) C.Chr. (synonym under Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh.)): the GBIF download; 0 records of GBIF's key 3915500, Acrostichum bonariense Willd. (Kew's file holds it as Acrostichum bonariense Willd. (synonym under Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh.)): GBIF occurrence search API; 4 records of GBIF's key 9737591, Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh. (Kew's file holds it as Hemionitis bonariensis (Willd.) Christenh. (accepted)): the GBIF download; 19 records within 1 km of a botanic garden, herbarium or zoo left out (17 at a botanic garden or arboretum, 2 at a herbarium; Wikidata's list)
Habitat climate climate answeredasked 2026-10-22
Daily extremes (NASA POWER) climate.extremes answeredasked 2026-10-22NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell 32.00_-111.875, lapse-corrected +23 m at 6.5 °C/km
Wikidata wikidata answeredasked 2026-10-22found by Kew's IPNI identifier 77182066-1, POWO 77182066-1
Wikipedia wikipedia answeredasked 2026-10-22Wikipedia redirects Hemionitis bonariensis to Myriopteris aurea, an older name of this species (Myriopteris aurea)
iNaturalist taxon inat.taxon not asked
iNaturalist photographs, wild inat.photos.wild not asked
iNaturalist photographs, cultivated inat.photos.cultivated not asked
GBIF media gbif.media not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
Wikimedia Commons commons nothing to reportasked 2026-10-22
OpenAlex papers openalex not askednot yet asked for this reference; a later fill takes the papers from OpenAlex's snapshot

Every source is recorded as having answered, reported nothing, refused, failed, not been asked, or answered twice where one answer is taken (“not taken: two items answered”), and, for a source asked when this page was built, when: the figures are as the source held them that day; a source read from a file (Kew's World Checklist, a GBIF download) says "as of" the file's day instead; a row carried from an earlier build of the page names that build instead. Only “nothing to report” is ever shown as an absence. Records came from 98 datasets via GBIF.org; each carries its own licence.

Cultifolio

Opening your plants…