Flora of North America species comparison

not readily fragmenting, prostrate, upperside and underside structurally different, irregularly forked;

branches determinate, tips upturned.

long-creeping, branched, branches 2–3-forked, flat, not articulate, glabrous.

conspicuously dimorphic, in 8 ranks, tightly appressed, ascending, green;

abaxial ridges present;

apex with deciduous, twisted, transparent bristle ± 0.3 mm, becoming acute to slightly mucronate in oldest branches.

delicate and papery.

solitary, 3–8 mm;

sporophylls ovate-deltate, abaxial ridges not prominent, base glabrous, margins ciliate, apex acute to mucronate.

paired, 0.6–1.1 cm;

sporophylls monomorphic, ovate-lanceolate, keeled, keel not dentate, base glabrous, margins green, entire or with a few scattered, short cilia, apex acute to acuminate.

borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.2 mm diam.

borne on underside of stems throughout stem length or restricted to proximal ± 2/3 of main stem or axillary throughout stem, 0.2–0.4 mm diam.

leaves lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic (on central ranks) or falcate (on marginal ranks), 2–2.7 × 0.5–0.7 mm;

base decurrent, glabrous;

margins ciliate, cilia transparent to opaque, spreading, 0.04–0.1 mm.

leaves lanceolate, 1.3–1.4 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

base abruptly adnate, pubescent, hairs often running along groove;

margins ciliate, cilia transparent to opaque, spreading, ca. 0.1 mm.

leaves spreading or slightly ascending, distant, shiny green becoming shiny brown, with orange or red spot or entirely reddish, ovate to ovate-oblong or oblong, 1.5–3.2 X (1–)1.5–2.2 mm;

base auriculate, basiscopic auricle conspicuous, acroscopic auricle inconspicuous or base ± rounded;

margins green, ciliate toward auricles, otherwise entire;

apex rounded to obtuse or truncate.

leaves ovate-oblong, (1.8–)2–2.2 × 1–1.3 mm;

base auriculate, outer auricle larger than inner one;

margins green, ciliate at auricles, otherwise entire;

apex abruptly cuspidate to bristled.