Flora of North America species comparison

long-creeping, 1–3 mm diam.;

scales uniformly brown or weakly bicolored with poorly defined, dark, central stripe, lanceolate-ovate, straight to slightly contorted, loosely appressed, often deciduous on older portions of stem.

short-creeping, usually 3–7 mm diam.;

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

scattered, 7–35 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

clustered, 4–25 cm;

vernation noncircinate.

usually dark brown, rounded adaxially.

dark brown, rounded adaxially.

oblong-lanceolate, 3–4-pinnate at base, 2–5 cm wide;

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

lanceolate to ovate-deltate, usually 3-pinnate at base, 1–4 cm wide;

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

round to oblong, beadlike, the largest 1–3 mm, abaxially glabrous or with a few small scales near base, adaxially glabrous.

oblong to ovate, beadlike, the largest 1–3 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 glabrous adaxially.

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

marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05–0.25 mm wide.

marginal, weakly 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 or subcordate at base, without overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the largest 0.4–0.8 mm wide, strongly imbricate, often concealing ultimate segments, ciliate, with coarse cilia often confined to proximal 1/2.

green adaxially for most of length;

abaxial scales multiseriate, ovate-lanceolate, deeply cordate at base, with overlapping basal lobes, conspicuous, the longest 0.4–1 mm wide, imbricate, often concealing ultimate segments, long-ciliate, cilia usually confined to proximal 1/2.

= 2n = 90, apogamous.