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.

long-creeping, 1–3 mm diam.;

scales often bicolored, with broad, poorly defined, dark, central stripe and narrow, brown margins, lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, strongly appressed, persistent.

clustered, 7–50 cm;

vernation circinate.

scattered, 7–35 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

dark brown, rounded adaxially.

dark 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 nearly ovate, 4-pinnate at base, 2–6 cm wide;

rachis rounded adaxially, with scattered linear-lanceolate 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 oblong, beadlike, the largest usually 1–2 mm, abaxially glabrous or with a few small scales near base, adaxially appearing sparsely pubescent but actually nearly 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 sparsely pubescent 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 32 spores.

brown adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales absent.

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales multiseriate, lanceolate, truncate to cordate at base, without overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the largest 0.4–1 mm wide, strongly imbricate, often concealing ultimate segments, ciliate, cilia coarse, usually distributed entire length of scale.

= 2n = 120, apogamous.

= 60.