Flora of North America species comparison

short-creeping;

scales golden brown to medium brown, concolored, iridescent, margins entire or occasionally with single broad tooth near base.

short-creeping;

scales bicolored, centers dark reddish brown, margins pale tan, erose-ciliate.

lax-arching or pendent, closely spaced, 15–75 cm.

arching or sometimes pendent, closely spaced, 20–110 cm.

0.5–1.5 mm diam., glabrous, occasionally glaucous.

1–3 mm diam., glabrous, occasionally glaucous.

lanceolate, pinnate, 10–45 × 4–15 cm, glabrous, gradually reduced distally;

proximal pinnae 3(–4)-pinnate;

rachis straight to flexuous, glabrous, not glaucous.

trowel-shaped, pinnate, 12–60 × 12–60 cm, gradually reduced distally, glabrous;

proximal pinnae 3-pinnate;

rachis straight, glabrous, not glaucous.

various, generally cuneate or fan-shaped to irregularly rhombic (plants in American southwest occasionally with segments nearly round), about as long as broad;

base broadly to narrowly cuneate;

margins shallowly to deeply lobed, incisions 0.5–7 mm, occasionally ± laciniate, sharply denticulate in sterile segments;

apex rounded to acute.

fan-shaped or rhombic, about as long as broad;

base cuneate;

apex rounded or acute, lobed, lobes separated by narrow incisions 0.5 mm wide.

transversely oblong or crescent-shaped, 1–3(–7) mm, glabrous.

transversely oblong to crescent-shaped, 0.5–2 mm, glabrous.

mostly 40–50 µm diam. 2n = 120.

mostly 40–58 µm diam. 2n = 60.

stalks 0.5–3.5 mm, dark color extending into segment base.

stalks 1–5 mm, with dark color ending abruptly at segment base, terminating in cupulelike swelling at base of segment (unlike any other species of Adiantum in the flora).