Pellaea ovata |
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ovate-leaf cliff-brake |
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Stems | 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, 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. |
Blade | elongate-deltate, usually 3-pinnate proximally, 5–25 cm wide; rachis tan throughout, strongly flexuous, rounded or flattened adaxially, usually glabrous. |
Ultimate segments | 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 | 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. |
Sporangia | short-stalked, containing 64 spores, not intermixed with farina-producing glands. |
2n | = 58. |
Pellaea ovata |
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Phenology | Sporulating summer–fall. |
Habitat | Rocky slopes and ledges, leaves often supported by associated vegetation, on a variety of substrates including granite and limestone |
Elevation | 300–1700 m (1000–5600 ft) |
Distribution |
TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies in Hispaniola
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Discussion | 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. |
Parent taxa | Pteridaceae > Pellaea |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | (Desvaux) Weatherby: Contr. Gray Herb. 114: 34. 1936 Pteris ovata Desvaux, Mém. Soc. Lin. (1827) |
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