The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Coville's lip fern

Wright's lip fern

Stems

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 slightly darker at base, linear-lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, often deciduous on older portions of stem.

Leaves

clustered, 5–30 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

clustered to somewhat scattered, 4–25 cm;

vernation circinate.

Petiole

dark brown, rounded adaxially.

brown, grooved adaxially.

Blade

lanceolate to ovate-deltate, 3–4-pinnate at base, 1.5–5 cm wide;

rachis rounded adaxially, somewhat scaly, not pubescent.

lanceolate to ovate-deltate, 2-pinnate-pinnatifid at base, 1–4 cm wide;

rachis grooved adaxially, not scaly or pubescent.

Ultimate segments

round to oblong, beadlike, the largest 1–3 mm, abaxially glabrous or with a few small scales near base, adaxially glabrous.

oblong to linear, not beadlike, the largest 3–7 mm, abaxially and adaxially glabrous.

Pinnae

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 often slightly larger than adjacent pair, ± equilateral, appearing glabrous adaxially.

False indusia

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

marginal, slightly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

Sori

± continuous around segment margins.

discontinuous, concentrated on interrupted lateral lobes.

Sporangia

containing 64 spores.

containing 64 spores.

Costae

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 absent.

2n

= 60.

= 60.

Cheilanthes covillei

Cheilanthes wrightii

Phenology Sporulating late spring–fall. Sporulating summer–fall.
Habitat Rocky slopes, cliffs, and ledges, usually on igneous substrates Rocky slopes and ledges usually on igneous substrates
Elevation 100–2500 m (300–8200 ft) 300–2000 m (1000–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico in Baja California
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico
Discussion

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.)

The glabrous Cheilanthes wrightii is occasionally confused with C. alabamensis and certain species of Pellaea. Cheilanthes wrightii is easily separated from C. alabamensis by its glabrous rachis, which is grooved on the adaxial surface. It is distinguished from all local members of Pellaea by having both a grooved rachis and a thin, long-creeping stem.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Pteridaceae > Cheilanthes Pteridaceae > Cheilanthes
Sibling taxa
C. aemula, C. alabamensis, C. arizonica, C. bonariensis, C. clevelandii, C. cooperae, C. eatonii, C. feei, C. fendleri, C. gracillima, C. horridula, C. intertexta, C. kaulfussii, C. lanosa, C. lendigera, C. leucopoda, C. lindheimeri, C. microphylla, C. newberryi, C. parryi, C. pringlei, C. tomentosa, C. villosa, C. viscida, C. wootonii, C. wrightii, C. yavapensis
C. aemula, C. alabamensis, C. arizonica, C. bonariensis, C. clevelandii, C. cooperae, C. covillei, C. eatonii, C. feei, C. fendleri, C. gracillima, C. horridula, C. intertexta, C. kaulfussii, C. lanosa, C. lendigera, C. leucopoda, C. lindheimeri, C. microphylla, C. newberryi, C. parryi, C. pringlei, C. tomentosa, C. villosa, C. viscida, C. wootonii, C. yavapensis
Synonyms Myriopteris covillei
Name authority Maxon: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 31: 147. (1918) Hooker: Sp. Fil. 2: 87, plate 110, fig. A. (1858)
Web links