Cheilanthes viscida |
Cheilanthes pringlei |
|
---|---|---|
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 |
CA; Mexico in Baja California
|
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 | ||
Name authority | Davenport: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 6: 191. (1877) | Davenport: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 10: 61. (1883) |
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