Cheilanthes covillei
Cheilanthes pringlei
Coville's lip fern
Pringle's lip fern
short-creeping, usually 2–4 mm diam.;
scales usually uniformly dark brown to black or rarely with narrow, light brown margins, linear-lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, strongly appressed, persistent.
long-creeping, 1–3 mm diam.;
scales uniformly brown or with poorly defined, dark, central stripe, linear-lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, usually persistent.
clustered, 5–30 cm;
vernation noncircinate.
clustered to somewhat scattered, 4–15 cm;
vernation noncircinate.
dark brown, rounded adaxially.
dark brown, grooved distally on adaxial surface.
lanceolate to ovate-deltate, 3–4-pinnate at base, 1.5–5 cm wide;
rachis rounded adaxially, somewhat scaly, not pubescent.
ovate-deltate, 3-pinnate-pinnatifid at base, 1.5–5 cm wide;
rachis grooved adaxially, with scattered, lanceolate scales, not pubescent.
round to oblong, beadlike, the largest 1–3 mm, abaxially glabrous or with a few small scales near base, adaxially glabrous.
spatulate, not especially beadlike, the largest usually 2–3 mm, abaxially glabrous or with a few small scales near base, adaxially glabrous.
not articulate, dark color of stalk continuing into pinna base, basal pair not conspicuously larger than adjacent pair, usually equilateral, appearing glabrous (or somewhat scaly) adaxially.
not articulate, dark color of stalk continuing into pinna base, basal pair conspicuously larger than adjacent pair, inequilateral, basiscopic pinnules enlarged, appearing glabrous adaxially.
marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.
marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.
± continuous around segment margins.
discontinuous, confined to apical or lateral lobes.
containing 64 spores.
containing 64 spores.
green adaxially for most of length;
abaxial scales multiseriate, ovate-lanceolate, deeply cordate at base, with overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the largest 0.4–1.5 mm wide, strongly imbricate, usually concealing ultimate segments, ciliate only on basal lobes.
green adaxially for most of length;
abaxial scales multiseriate, lanceolate, truncate or subcordate at base, without overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the largest 0.4–0.8 mm wide, loosely imbricate, not concealing ultimate segments, erose, not ciliate.
= 60.
= 60.
Cheilanthes covillei
Cheilanthes pringlei
Cheilanthes covillei can be difficult to distinguish from the closely related C. intertexta and C. clevelandii; it differs from these two species in having glabrous blades and costal scales ciliate only on the basal lobes. Cheilanthes covillei is occasionally misidentified as C. fendleri because the cilia of the scales are often obscure; it is distinguished from the latter species by having rigid, dark brown stem scales that are strongly appressed. Cheilanthes covillei hybridizes with C. parryi and C. newberryi to form rare, sterile diploids known as C. × parishii Davenport and C. × fibrillosa (Davenport) Davenport ex Underwood, respectively. A third sterile diploid hybrid with C. fendleri has recently been discovered in central Arizona (M. D. Windham, unpublished).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Cheilanthes pringlei is often confused with young, sterile plants of C. fendleri, but it is easily distinguished from the latter by having rachises that are grooved adaxially. This species appears to be restricted to the Sonoran Desert; records from Gila and Cochise counties, Arizona, and southern New Mexico are based on misidentifications.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
