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coffee cliffbrake, coffee fern

heartleaf cliffbrake

Stems

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.

compact, ascending, stout, 6–10 mm diam.;

scales uniformly orange-brown and thin, lanceolate to ovate, largest scales 0.3–1 mm wide, margins dentate.

Leaves

monomorphic, scattered along stem, 10–60 cm;

croziers not conspicuously pubescent, densely scaly.

somewhat dimorphic, sterile leaves shorter than fertile leaves, clustered on stem, 15–50 cm;

croziers not conspicuously pubescent, densely scaly.

Petiole

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

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

Blade

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

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

ovate-deltate, 2-pinnate proximally, 5–20 cm wide;

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

Ultimate segments

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.

round-cordate to deltate-cordate, 5–15 mm, herbaceous to leathery, glabrous or puberulent;

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

apex rounded or retuse.

Pinnae

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

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

perpendicular to rachis or slightly ascending, not decurrent on rachis, usually with 3–15 ultimate segments;

costae straight to slightly flexuous, 25–100 mm, longer than ultimate segments.

Veins

of ultimate segments evident.

of ultimate segments usually evident.

Sporangia

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

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

2n

= 58;

n = 2n = 87, 116, apogamous.

= 58.

Pellaea andromedifolia

Pellaea cordifolia

Phenology Sporulating late spring–summer. Sporulating summer–fall.
Habitat Rocky slopes and ledges, usually on igneous substrates Rocky slopes and ledges, usually on volcanic substrates
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 1000–2500 m (3300–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico in Baja California
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pellaea andromedifolia comprises three cytotypes: a sexually reproducing diploid, an apogamous triploid, and an apogamous tetraploid. Isozyme studies by G. J. Gastony and L. D. Gottlieb (1985) suggested that the apogamous triploid is an autopolyploid derived from sexual diploid populations. The apogamous tetraploid apparently resulted from hybridization between diploid and triploid individuals. These cytotypes have not been formally recognized as subspecies because their ranges seem to overlap extensively and because the ploidy level of the type collection of P. andromedifolia is not known.

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

The diploid Pellaea cordifolia has often been treated as a variety of the Central American and South American apogamous triploid, P. sagittata. The two taxa are distinguished by a number of qualitative morphologic features (A. R. Smith 1980), and it seems unlikely that they represent cytotypes of a single species. A. F. Tryon (1957) suggested that P. sagittata may have originated through hybridization between P. ovata and P. cordifolia (as P. sagittata var. cordata).

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

Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Pteridaceae > Pellaea Pteridaceae > Pellaea
Sibling taxa
P. atropurpurea, P. brachyptera, P. breweri, P. bridgesii, P. cordifolia, P. gastonyi, P. glabella, P. intermedia, P. lyngholmii, P. mucronata, P. ovata, P. ternifolia, P. truncata, P. wrightiana
P. andromedifolia, P. atropurpurea, P. brachyptera, P. breweri, P. bridgesii, P. gastonyi, P. glabella, P. intermedia, P. lyngholmii, P. mucronata, P. ovata, P. ternifolia, P. truncata, P. wrightiana
Synonyms Pteris andromedifolia, P. andromedifolia var. pubescens Adiantum cordifolium, P. cardiomorpha, P. sagittata var. cordata
Name authority (Kaulfuss) Fée (Sessé & Mociño) A. R. Smith: Amer. Fern J. 70: 26. (1980)
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