Flora of North America species comparison

compact, ascending, stout, 5–10 mm diam.;

scales uniformly reddish brown (or tan), linear-subulate, 0.1–0.3 mm wide, thin, margins entire to denticulate.

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.

somewhat dimorphic, sterile leaves shorter and less divided than fertile leaves, clustered on stems, 5–50 cm;

croziers villous.

monomorphic, scattered along stem, 10–60 cm;

croziers not conspicuously pubescent, densely scaly.

reddish purple to nearly black, lustrous, rounded adaxially, without prominent articulation lines.

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

elongate-deltate, usually 2-pinnate proximally, 2–18 cm wide;

rachis reddish purple throughout, straight, rounded adaxially, densely pubescent adaxially with short, curly, appressed hairs.

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

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

linear-oblong, 10–75 mm, leathery, sparsely villous abaxially near midrib;

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

apex obtuse to slightly mucronate.

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.

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

costae straight, 10–100 mm, often longer than ultimate segments.

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 obscure.

of ultimate segments evident.

long-stalked, containing 32 spores, not intermixed with farina-producing glands.

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

= 2n = 87, apogamous.

= 58;

n = 2n = 87, 116, apogamous.