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.

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

scales bicolored, linear-subulate, 0.1–0.3 mm wide, centers dark brown to black, thick, margins brown, thin, dentate.

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

croziers villous.

monomorphic, clustered on stem, 8–40 cm;

croziers sparsely villous.

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

dark brown, lustrous, flattened or slightly grooved 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.

linear-oblong, 2-pinnate proximally, 1–4 cm wide;

rachis brown throughout, straight, shallowly grooved adaxially, usually glabrous.

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.

linear, 5–20 mm, leathery, glabrous;

margins on fertile segments strongly revolute, covering more than 1/2 abaxial surface, borders greenish, crenate;

apex mucronate.

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.

strongly ascending, not decurrent on rachis, usually with 5–11 ultimate segments;

costae straight, 5–20 mm, usually shorter than ultimate segments.

of ultimate segments obscure.

of ultimate segments obscure.

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

short-stalked, containing 64 spores, intermixed with abundant farina-producing glands.

= 2n = 87, apogamous.