Flora of North America species comparison

creeping, horizontal, slender, 2–4 mm diam.;

scales mostly bicolored, narrowly lanceolate, largest scales 0.3–0.8 mm wide, centers black, thick, margins brown, thin, irregularly dentate.

monomorphic, scattered along stem, 10–60 cm;

croziers not conspicuously pubescent, densely scaly.

straw-colored, tan, or gray, not lustrous, rounded or slightly flattened adaxially, without prominent articulation lines.

elongate-deltate, usually 3-pinnate proximally, 3–20 cm wide;

rachis tan throughout, straight to slightly flexuous, rounded or flattened adaxially, glabrous or pubescent.

elliptic to ovate, 3–15 mm, somewhat herbaceous, glabrous to sparsely pubescent abaxially;

margins recurved on fertile segments, usually covering less than 1/2 abaxial surface, borders whitish, entire;

apex retuse to rounded.

ascending or perpendicular to rachis, not decurrent on rachis, with 8–50 ultimate segments;

costae usually straight, 15–140 mm, longer than ultimate segments.

of ultimate segments evident.

short-stalked, containing 64 or 32 spores, not intermixed with farina-producing glands.

= 58;

n = 2n = 87, 116, apogamous.