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bird's-foot fern, birdfoot cliffbrake

Sierra cliff-brake, Sierran cliffbrake

Stems

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

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

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.

Leaves

monomorphic, clustered on stem, 7–45 cm;

croziers sparsely villous.

monomorphic, clustered on stem, 8–40 cm;

croziers sparsely villous.

Petiole

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

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

Blade

ovate-deltate, (2–)3-pinnate proximally, 4–18 cm wide;

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

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

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

Ultimate segments

narrowly oblong, 2–12 mm, leathery, glabrous;

margins recurved to strongly revolute on fertile segments, usually covering more than 1/2 abaxial surface, borders greenish, usually dentate;

apex 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.

Pinnae

perpendicular to rachis to strongly ascending, not decurrent on rachis, usually with 9–40 ultimate segments;

costae straight, 10–70 mm, much 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.

Veins

of ultimate segments obscure.

of ultimate segments obscure.

Sporangia

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

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

Pellaea mucronata

Pellaea brachyptera

Phenology Sporulating summer–fall.
Habitat Cliffs and rocky slopes, usually on igneous substrates, occasionally on serpentine
Elevation 900–2700 m (3000–8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Pellaea mucronata encompasses two morphologic extremes that tend to occupy different habitats and are treated here as subspecies. The typical 3-pinnate form (P. mucronata subsp. mucronata) is scattered throughout California and southern Nevada, usually below 1800 m elevation. The 2-pinnate form with ascending, overlapping pinnae (P. mucronata subsp. californica) is apparently confined to the Sierra Nevada and Transverse Ranges of California at elevations greater than 1800 m. The taxonomic status of these entities remains in dispute, and they are often treated as mere ecological forms. W. H. Wagner Jr. et al. (1983) indicated that natural hybrids formed between P. bridgesii and these two taxa are morphologically distinct, suggesting that the differences observed between the subspecies of P. mucronata are genetically based. In addition to P. bridgesii, subsp. mucronata apparently hybridizes with both P. truncata and P. brachyptera (see comments under those species).

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

The distinctive Pellaea brachyptera reportedly hybridizes with P. mucronata (A. F. Tryon 1957; D. B. Lellinger 1985); the hybrids are morphologically intermediate plants with malformed spores.

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

Key
1. Blades 3-pinnate proximally; pinnae usually ± perpendicular to rachis, not overlapping; plants usually found below 1800 m.
subsp. mucronata
1. Blades usually 2-pinnate proximally; pinnae ascending and overlapping, especially in distal portion of leaf; plants usually found above 1800 m.
subsp. californica
Source FNA vol. 2, p. 182. 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. intermedia, P. lyngholmii, P. ovata, P. ternifolia, P. truncata, P. wrightiana
P. andromedifolia, P. atropurpurea, P. breweri, P. bridgesii, P. cordifolia, P. gastonyi, P. glabella, P. intermedia, P. lyngholmii, P. mucronata, P. ovata, P. ternifolia, P. truncata, P. wrightiana
Subordinate taxa
P. mucronata subsp. californica, P. mucronata subsp. mucronata
Synonyms Allosorus mucronatus, P. ornithopus Platyloma brachyptera
Name authority (D. C. Eaton) D. C. Eaton: in Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 233. (1859) (T. Moore) Baker: in Hooker & Baker, Syn. Fil. ed. 2 477. (1874)
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