Flora of North America species comparison

compact to short-creeping, usually 4–8 mm diam.;

scales often uniformly brown but at least some on each plant with thin, poorly defined, dark, central stripe, linear-lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, persistent.

usually short-creeping, 1–3 mm diam.;

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

clustered, 7–50 cm;

vernation circinate.

clustered to somewhat scattered, 8–40 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

dark brown, rounded adaxially.

dark to light brown, rounded adaxially.

linear-oblong to lanceolate, usually 2-pinnate-pinnatifid at base, 1.5–5 cm wide;

rachis rounded adaxially, lacking scales, with monomorphic pubescence.

oblong-lanceolate to ovate, usually 4-pinnate at base, 2–8 cm wide;

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

oblong to lanceolate, not beadlike, the largest 3–5 mm, abaxially and adaxially sparsely hirsute with long, segmented hairs.

round to subcordate, beadlike, the largest 1–2 mm, abaxially with branched hairs and small ciliate scales, adaxially glabrous.

not articulate, dark color of stalk continuing into pinna base, basal pair slightly smaller than adjacent pair, ± equilateral, appearing sparsely hirsute adaxially.

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

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

discontinuous, concentrated on small apical and lateral lobes.

± continuous around segment margins.

containing 64 spores.

containing 64 spores.

brown adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales absent.

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales multiseriate, ovate-lanceolate, deeply cordate at base, with overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, 0.4–1 mm wide, imbricate, occasionally concealing ultimate segments, ciliate (usually only on proximal 1/2).

= 60.