Pentagramma pallida is endemic to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. C. A. Weatherby (1920), K. S. Alt and V. Grant (1960), and D. M. Smith (1980) agreed that P . pallida is among the most easily distinguishable taxa in the group, particularly in the field. In addition to the key characteristics, the usually blackish, nonlustrous petioles of this species are unique in the genus. Alt and Grant noted a case of apparent hybridization between this species and Pentagramma triangularis in Tuolumne County, California.