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creeping cliff brake, intermediate cliffbrake

ovate-leaf cliff-brake

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.

creeping, horizontal, slender, 2–5 mm diam.;

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

Leaves

monomorphic, widely scattered along stem, 12–50 cm;

croziers pubescent and bearing a few scales.

monomorphic, clustered or scattered along stem, 15–100 cm;

croziers pubescent, bearing a few scales.

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

ovate to elongate-deltate, usually 2-pinnate proximally, 4–20 cm wide;

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

elongate-deltate, usually 3-pinnate proximally, 5–25 cm wide;

rachis tan throughout, strongly flexuous, rounded or flattened adaxially, usually glabrous.

Ultimate segments

ovate to elliptic, 5–15 mm, leathery, glabrous or usually puberulent abaxially;

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

apex obtuse to slightly mucronate.

lanceolate-deltate, 5–20 mm, leathery, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

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

apex obtuse to truncate.

Pinnae

perpendicular to rachis or slightly ascending, not decurrent on rachis, usually with 7–21 ultimate segments;

costae straight to slightly flexuous, 20–100 mm, longer than ultimate segments.

retrorse, projecting downward toward base of leaf, not decurrent on rachis, with 5–40 ultimate segments;

costae strongly flexuous, 25–120 mm, longer than ultimate segments.

Veins

of ultimate segments obscure.

of ultimate segments obscure.

Sporangia

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

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

n

= 2n = 87, 116, apogamous.

2n

= 58.

Pellaea intermedia

Pellaea ovata

Phenology Sporulating summer–fall. Sporulating summer–fall.
Habitat Rocky slopes and ledges, on a variety of substrates, including limestone and granite Rocky slopes and ledges, leaves often supported by associated vegetation, on a variety of substrates including granite and limestone
Elevation 300–2400 m (1000–7900 ft) 300–1700 m (1000–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies in Hispaniola
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants of Pellaea intermedia in the flora are apogamous triploids and tetraploids; a sexual diploid cytotype has been found near Saltillo, Mexico (A. F. Tryon 1968). Given the high degree of morphologic similarity among the three cytotypes, the North American polyploids probably were derived from the Mexican diploid through autopolyploidy.

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

Populations of Pellaea ovata in the flora are composed of sexual diploids; an apogamous triploid cytotype predominates south of the United States. I have not seen herbarium specimens to substantiate reports of P. ovata from New Mexico (D. B. Lellinger 1985).

(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. andromedifolia, P. atropurpurea, P. brachyptera, P. breweri, P. bridgesii, P. cordifolia, P. gastonyi, P. glabella, P. lyngholmii, P. mucronata, P. ovata, P. ternifolia, P. truncata, P. wrightiana
P. andromedifolia, P. atropurpurea, P. brachyptera, P. breweri, P. bridgesii, P. cordifolia, P. gastonyi, P. glabella, P. intermedia, P. lyngholmii, P. mucronata, P. ternifolia, P. truncata, P. wrightiana
Synonyms P. intermedia var. pubescens
Name authority Mettenius ex Kuhn: Linnaea 38: 84. (1869) (Desvaux) Weatherby: Contr. Gray Herb. 114: 34. 1936 Pteris ovata Desvaux, Mém. Soc. Lin. (1827)
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