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viscid lip fern

Pringle's lip fern

Stems

short-creeping, usually 4–8 mm diam.;

scales uniformly brown, linear-subulate, strongly contorted, loosely appressed, persistent.

long-creeping, 1–3 mm diam.;

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

Leaves

clustered, 6–30 cm;

vernation circinate.

clustered to somewhat scattered, 4–15 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

Petiole

dark brown, flattened or slightly grooved distally on adaxial surface.

dark brown, grooved distally on adaxial surface.

Blade

narrowly oblong to linear, 3-pinnate-pinnatifid at base, 1–4 cm wide;

rachis flattened or slightly grooved adaxially, lacking scales, with monomorphic pubescence.

ovate-deltate, 3-pinnate-pinnatifid at base, 1.5–5 cm wide;

rachis grooved adaxially, with scattered, lanceolate scales, not pubescent.

Ultimate segments

oblong to lanceolate, not beadlike, the largest 3–4 mm, abaxially and adaxially glandular-pubescent with short, sticky, capitate glands.

spatulate, not especially beadlike, the largest usually 2–3 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 slightly smaller than adjacent pair, ± equilateral, appearing glandular pubescent adaxially.

not articulate, dark color of stalk continuing into pinna base, basal pair conspicuously larger than adjacent pair, inequilateral, basiscopic pinnules enlarged, appearing glabrous adaxially.

False indusia

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

Sori

usually discontinuous, concentrated on apical and lateral lobes.

discontinuous, confined to apical or lateral lobes.

Sporangia

containing 64 spores.

containing 64 spores.

Costae

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales absent.

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales multiseriate, lanceolate, truncate or subcordate at base, without overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the largest 0.4–0.8 mm wide, loosely imbricate, not concealing ultimate segments, erose, not ciliate.

2n

= 60.

Cheilanthes viscida

Cheilanthes pringlei

Phenology Sporulating late spring–fall. Sporulating late spring–fall.
Habitat Cliffs and rocky slopes, usually on igneous substrates Rocky slopes and ledges, usually on igneous substrates
Elevation 200–1300 m (700–4300 ft) 700–1200 m (2300–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico in Baja California
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; n Mexico
Discussion

Cheilanthes viscida is confined to a relatively small region in the deserts of California. Variations in spore size among populations suggest that the species may include more than one cytotype.

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

Cheilanthes pringlei is often confused with young, sterile plants of C. fendleri, but it is easily distinguished from the latter by having rachises that are grooved adaxially. This species appears to be restricted to the Sonoran Desert; records from Gila and Cochise counties, Arizona, and southern New Mexico are based on misidentifications.

(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. intertexta, C. kaulfussii, C. lanosa, C. lendigera, C. leucopoda, C. lindheimeri, C. microphylla, C. newberryi, C. parryi, C. pringlei, C. tomentosa, C. villosa, 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. tomentosa, C. villosa, C. viscida, C. wootonii, C. wrightii, C. yavapensis
Name authority Davenport: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 6: 191. (1877) Davenport: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 10: 61. (1883)
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