Flora of North America species comparison

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.

monomorphic, clustered on stem, 8–40 cm;

croziers sparsely villous.

dark brown, lustrous, flattened or slightly grooved adaxially, without prominent articulation lines.

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

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

linear, 5–20 mm, leathery, glabrous;

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

apex mucronate.

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.

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