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oak-fern

Pacific oak-fern, western oak-fern

Habit Plants terrestrial.
Stems

long-creeping, stolons absent.

1–3 mm diam.;

scales 2–4 mm.

Leaves

monomorphic, dying back in winter.

Fertile leaves

usually 20–68 cm.

Petiole

ca. 1.5–3 times length of blade, base not swollen;

vascular bundles 2, lateral, ± oblong in cross section.

12–44 cm with sparse glandular hairs distally;

scales 2–6 mm.

Blade

broadly deltate, ternate, or ovate, 2–3-pinnate-pinnatifid, reduced distally to pinnatifid apex, herbaceous.

broadly deltate, 3-pinnate-pinnatifid, 8–24 cm, lax and delicate, abaxial surface and rachis glabrous or with sparse glandular hairs, adaxial surface glabrous.

Ultimate segments

of proximal pinnae oblong, crenate to slightly lobed, apex crenulate, acute.

Pinnae

weakly articulate to rachis but persistent, segment margins entire to crenate;

proximal pinnae longest, petiolulate, usually ± inequilateral with pinnules on basiscopic side longer than those on acroscopic side;

costae adaxially grooved, grooves not continuous from rachis to costae;

indument lacking or of minute (0.1 mm) glands abaxially and sometimes along costae adaxially.

of 2d pair usually sessile with basal basiscopic pinnule longer than or equaling adjacent pinnule and markedly longer than basal acroscopic pinnule;

basal acroscopic pinnule distinctly shorter than adjacent pinnule or rarely absent, apex often crenulate, obtuse.;

pinnae of 3d pair usually sessile with basal basiscopic pinnule longer than or equaling adjacent pinnule and longer than basal acroscopic pinnule;

basal acroscopic pinnule shorter than adjacent pinnule.

Veins

free, simple or forked.

Sori

in 1 row between midrib and margin, ± round;

indusia absent.

Spores

brownish, rugose.

27–31 µm. 2n = 80.

Pinna

apex acuminate.

Proximal

pinnae 5–18 cm, ± perpendicular to rachis, with basiscopic pinnules ± perpendicular to costa;

basal basiscopic pinnule sessile, pinnate-pinnatifid (with basal pinnulets, and sometimes 2 adjacent pinnulets, separate), basal basiscopic pinnulet usually longer (sometimes equaling or shorter) than adjacent pinnulet; 2d basal basiscopic pinnule sessile with basal basiscopic pinnulet usually longer than or equaling adjacent pinnulet;

basal acroscopic pinnule sessile, with basal basiscopic pinnulet usually longer than or equaling adjacent pinnulet.

x

= 40.

Gymnocarpium

Gymnocarpium disjunctum

Habitat Shaded, rocky slopes and ravines, mixed coniferous woods, moist stream and creek banks
Elevation 0–2400 m (0–7900 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
North America; North temperate regions; Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC; Asia in ne former Soviet republics
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 8 (5 in the flora).

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

In addition to the west coast of North America, Gymnocarpium disjunctum is found on Sakhalin Island in southern Kamchatka, in the former Soviet republics.

Of conservation concern.

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

Key
1. Adaxial blade surface glabrous or moderately glandular, abaxial blade surface and rachis moderately or densely glandular.
→ 2
1. Adaxial and abaxial blade surfaces and rachis essentially glabrous.
→ 3
2. Blades glabrous on adaxial surface; proximal pinnae and basiscopic pinnules of proximal pinnae curving toward apex of leaf and apex of pinna, respectively; pinnae of 2d pair almost always sessile with basal pinnules ± equal in length to adjacent pinnules.
jessoense subsp. parvulum
2. Blades moderately glandular on adaxial surface; proximal pinnae and basiscopic pinnules of proximal pinnae ± perpendicular to rachis and costa, respectively; pinnae of 2d pair usually stalked, or if sessile with basal pinnules shorter than adjacent pinnules.
G. robertianum
3. Pinnae of 2d pair and basal basiscopic pinnule of proximal pinnae stalked.
G. appalachianum
3. Pinnae of 2d pair sessile or rarely stalked; proximal basiscopic pinnule of basal pinnae sessile.
→ 4
4. Pinnae of 2d pair sessile with basal pinnules unequal in length (basiscopic markedly longer); ultimate segments of proximal pinnae slightly lobed to crenate, apex often crenulate, acute; blades 8-24 cm.
G. disjunctum
4. Pinnae of 2d pair rarely stalked, if sessile with basal pinnules ± equal in length (basiscopic = acroscopic); ultimate segments of proximal pinnae crenate to entire, apex entire, rounded; blades 3-14 cm.
→ 5
5. Sessile basal basiscopic pinnule of proximal pinnae with basal basiscopic pinnulet (division of pinnule) ± equal in length to adjacent pinnulet; pinnae of 2d pair usually sessile, with basal pinnules ± equal in length to adjacent basal pinnule; spores 34-39 µm.
G. dryopteris
5. Sessile basal basiscopic pinnule of proximal pinnae with basal basiscopic pinnulet shorter than adjacent pinnulet; pinnae of 2d pair sessile, with basal pinnules shorter than adjacent pinnule, or 2d basal pinnae rarely stalked; spores 27-31 µm.
G. appalachianum
Source FNA vol. 2. Author: Kathleen M. Pryer. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Dryopteridaceae Dryopteridaceae > Gymnocarpium
Sibling taxa
G. appalachianum, G. dryopteris, G. jessoense, G. robertianum
Subordinate taxa
G. appalachianum, G. disjunctum, G. dryopteris, G. jessoense subsp. parvulum, G. robertianum
Synonyms Polypodium dryopteris var. disjunctum, Dryopteris disjuncta, G. dryopteris subsp. disjunctum, G. dryopteris var. disjunctum
Name authority Newman: Phytologist 4: 371. (1851) (Ruprecht) Ching: Acta Phytotax. Sin. 10: 304. (1965)
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