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trans-Pecos cliffbrake

ovate-leaf cliff-brake

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.

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 on stem, 10–50 cm;

croziers sparsely to densely villous.

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

croziers pubescent, bearing a few scales.

Petiole

black or dark purple, 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

linear to ovate, deeply pinnate-pinnatifid proximally, 2.5–8 cm wide;

rachis black or purple throughout, straight, often flattened adaxially, glabrous or villous.

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

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

Ultimate segments

linear-oblong, 10–40 mm, leathery, glabrous to sparsely villous abaxially on midrib;

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

apex 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, ternate at base of leaf;

costae absent.

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

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

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

2n

= 58.

Pellaea ternifolia

Pellaea ovata

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
from FNA
AZ; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; Pacific Islands in Hawaii
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies in Hispaniola
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

Pellaea ternifolia is represented in the flora by three morphologically and chromosomally distinct taxa. These discrete genetic entities also show a tendency toward geographic isolation and are treated here as subspecies. Diploid populations referred to P. ternifolia subsp. ternifolia are scattered from Texas through Mexico to South America. The pubescent tetraploid (P. ternifolia subsp. villosa) follows the Sierra Madre Oriental from Puebla, Mexico, north to Texas; the glabrous tetraploid (P. ternifolia subsp. arizonica) occurs in Arizona, Texas, and northern Mexico. Isozyme and chromosome studies suggest that both tetraploids are segmental allopolyploids produced by hybridization between subsp. ternifolia and other (as yet unidentified) diploid elements within P. ternifolia.

(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.)

Key
1. Rachises villous, especially in axils of pinnae; pinnae with hairs scattered along main veins abaxially.
subsp. villosa
1. Rachises glabrous or with a few widely scattered hairs; pinnae completely glabrous.
→ 2
2. Largest ultimate segments (excluding terminal pinnae) usually less than 18 mm; distal portion of petioles grooved or flattened adaxially; spores usually 39–45 µm diam.
subsp. ternifolia
2. Largest ultimate segments (excluding terminal pinnae) usually more than 18 mm; distal portion of petioles rounded or slightly flattened adaxially; spores usually 46–53 µm diam.
subsp. arizonica
Source FNA vol. 2, p. 180. 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. mucronata, P. ovata, 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
Subordinate taxa
P. ternifolia subsp. arizonica, P. ternifolia subsp. ternifolia, P. ternifolia subsp. villosa
Synonyms Pteris ternifolia
Name authority (Cavanilles) Link: Fil. Spec. 59. (1841) (Desvaux) Weatherby: Contr. Gray Herb. 114: 34. 1936 Pteris ovata Desvaux, Mém. Soc. Lin. (1827)
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