Flora of North America species comparison

long-creeping, 0.7–3 mm diam.;

scales uniformly brown, ovate-lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, often deciduous on older portions of stem.

short-creeping, 4–8 mm diam.;

scales uniformly brown or with poorly defined, dark, central stripe, linear-lanceolate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, persistent.

scattered, 7–30 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

clustered, 5–25 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

usually dark brown, rounded adaxially.

dark brown, rounded adaxially.

oblong-lanceolate to ovate-deltate, 4-pinnate at base, 2–5 cm wide;

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

linear-oblong, 2–3-pinnate at base, 1–2.5 cm wide;

rachis rounded adaxially, with scattered linear scales, not pubescent.

round to slightly oblong, beadlike, the largest 0.7–1 mm, abaxially nearly glabrous, often with a few small scales or branched hairs, adaxially appearing tomentose but actually nearly glabrous.

oblong or rarely oval, beadlike, the largest 1.5–3 mm, abaxially densely covered with branched hairs and small, ciliate scales, adaxially with scattered, branched hairs or glabrescent.

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

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

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

marginal, slightly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

± continuous around segment margins.

± continuous around segment margins.

containing 32 spores.

containing 64 spores.

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales multiseriate, lanceolate-ovate, truncate to cordate at base, usually without overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the largest 0.4–1 mm wide, strongly imbricate, often concealing ultimate segments, long-ciliate throughout, cilia fine, curly, forming entangled mass.

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales multiseriate, linear, truncate at base, inconspicuous, the largest 0.1–0.4 mm wide, loosely imbricate, not concealing ultimate segments, long-ciliate, cilia usually confined to base.

= 2n = 90, apogamous.