Pellaea truncata |
Pellaea brachyptera |
|
---|---|---|
cliff brake, spiny cliff-brake |
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 | somewhat dimorphic, sterile leaves shorter and less divided than fertile leaves, clustered on stems, 8–40 cm; croziers sparsely villous. |
monomorphic, clustered on stem, 8–40 cm; croziers sparsely villous. |
Petiole | dark brown, lustrous, flattened or slightly grooved adaxially, without prominent articulation lines. |
dark brown, lustrous, flattened or slightly grooved adaxially, without prominent articulation lines. |
Blade | ovate-deltate, usually 2-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, 4–10 mm, leathery, glabrous; margins recurved on fertile segments, usually covering less than 1/2 abaxial surface, borders whitish, nearly entire; 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 slightly ascending, not decurrent on rachis, usually with 9–25 ultimate segments; costae straight, 20–70 mm, much longer than fertile 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 | long-stalked, containing 64 spores, intermixed with abundant farina-producing glands. |
short-stalked, containing 64 spores, intermixed with abundant farina-producing glands. |
2n | = 58. |
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Pellaea truncata |
Pellaea brachyptera |
|
Phenology | Sporulating late spring–fall. | Sporulating summer–fall. |
Habitat | Cliffs and rocky slopes, on various substrates but rarely observed on limestone | Cliffs and rocky slopes, usually on igneous substrates, occasionally on serpentine |
Elevation | 600–2500 m (2000–8200 ft) | 900–2700 m (3000–8900 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT; n Mexico
|
CA; OR; WA
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Discussion | Most manuals refer to Pellaea truncata as P. longimucronata, a name shown to be invalid by A. Cronquist et al. (1972+, vol. 1). Populations located near the range of P. mucronata in the Mojave Desert are often difficult to identify because of the subtlety of the characters involved and an apparent tendency to produce sterile (and possibly fertile) hybrids. Morphologically intermediate hybrids between P. truncata and P. wrightiana are common in regions where the ranges of the two species overlap, but these are easily identified by their malformed spores. (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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 2. | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Pteridaceae > Pellaea | Pteridaceae > Pellaea |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. longimucronata, P. wrightiana var. longimucronata | Platyloma brachyptera |
Name authority | Goodding: Muhlenbergia 8: 94. (1912) | (T. Moore) Baker: in Hooker & Baker, Syn. Fil. ed. 2 477. (1874) |
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