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coastal lip fern

beaded lipfern, Wooton's lip fern

Stems

short-creeping, usually 3–7 mm diam.;

scales usually bicolored, with broad, well-defined, dark, central stripe and narrow, light brown margins, linear-lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, strongly appressed, persistent.

long-creeping, 1–3 mm diam.;

scales uniformly brown or weakly bicolored with poorly defined, dark, central stripe, lanceolate-ovate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, often deciduous on older portions of stem.

Leaves

clustered, 4–25 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

scattered, 7–35 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

Petiole

dark brown, rounded adaxially.

usually dark brown, rounded adaxially.

Blade

lanceolate to ovate-deltate, usually 3-pinnate at base, 1–4 cm wide;

rachis rounded adaxially, with scattered scales and sparse monomorphic pubescence.

oblong-lanceolate, 3–4-pinnate at base, 2–5 cm wide;

rachis rounded adaxially, with scattered linear-lanceolate scales and sparse monomorphic pubescence.

Ultimate segments

oblong to ovate, beadlike, the largest 1–3 mm, abaxially densely covered with branched hairs and small, ciliate scales, adaxially with scattered branched hairs or glabrescent.

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

not articulate, dark color of stalk continuing into pinna base, basal pair not conspicuously larger than adjacent pair, usually equilateral, appearing glabrous adaxially.

False indusia

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

Sori

± continuous around segment margins.

± continuous around segment margins.

Sporangia

containing 64 spores.

containing 32 spores.

Costae

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales multiseriate, ovate-lanceolate, deeply cordate at base, with overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the longest 0.4–1 mm wide, imbricate, often concealing ultimate segments, long-ciliate, cilia usually confined to proximal 1/2.

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales multiseriate, lanceolate-ovate, truncate or subcordate at base, without overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the largest 0.4–0.8 mm wide, strongly imbricate, often concealing ultimate segments, ciliate, with coarse cilia often confined to proximal 1/2.

n

= 2n = 90, apogamous.

Cheilanthes intertexta

Cheilanthes wootonii

Phenology Sporulating late spring–fall. Sporulating summer–fall.
Habitat Rocky slopes and ledges, usually on igneous substrates Rocky slopes and ledges, usually on igneous substrates
Elevation 500–2800 m (1600–9200 ft) 800–2900 m (2600–9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OK; TX; UT; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Preliminary isozyme analyses support D. B. Lellinger's (1985) suggestion that Cheilanthes intertexta is a fertile allotetraploid hybrid between C. gracillima and C. covillei. It is morphologically most similar to the latter parent (see comments under C. covillei), but it is occasionally confused with C. gracillima, with which it apparently hybridizes to form sterile intermediates that have been called C. gracillima var. aberrans M. E. Jones. Cheilanthes intertexta may also be confused with C. clevelandii, with which it is partially sympatric. In addition to the characters given in the key, C. intertexta is distinguished from closely related sexual species by having larger spores averaging more than 55 µm in diameter.

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

Like its close relative Cheilanthes lindheimeri, C. wootonii is an apogamous triploid of unknown parentage. With the recognition of C. yavapensis as a distinct species, the name C. wootonii is restricted to populations with leaf blades that appear glabrous adaxially, costal scales that are often ciliate only in the proximal half, and stem scales that are usually brown and loosely appressed. In addition, C. wootonii is distinguished from C. yavapensis by having smaller spores, averaging less than 62 µm in diameter. These characteristics can be subtle, and some specimens will be difficult to place in either C. wootonii or C. yavapensis. T. Reeves (1979) identified several specimens from Arizona that he hypothesized were hybrids between C. wootonii and C. fendleri.

(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. covillei, C. eatonii, C. feei, C. fendleri, C. gracillima, C. horridula, 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. wrightii, C. yavapensis
Synonyms C. covillei subsp. intertexta
Name authority (Maxon) Maxon: in Abrams, Ill. Fl. Pacific States 1: 28. (1923) Maxon: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 3: 146. (1918)
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