Flora of North America species comparison

not readily fragmenting, prostrate, upperside and underside structurally different, irregularly forked, branches determinate, tips upturned.

short-creeping, unbranched or few-forked, flat, not articulate, glabrous.

with underside leaves slightly longer and narrower than upperside leaves, otherwise monomorphic, not clearly ranked, tightly appressed, ascending, green or green with red spots, or reddish, linear-lanceolate (underside) to linear-triangular (upperside), (2–)3–4.5 × 0.5–0.6 mm;

abaxial ridges present;

base abruptly adnate, pubescent (sometimes glabrous);

margins ciliate, cilia white to white opaque, strongly appressed and ascending, 0.03–0.1 mm;

apex with bristle white to white-opaque, 0.5–1.4 mm (those on underside leaves sometimes 1/4–1/2 longer than those on upperside leaves).

delicate, papery.

solitary, 5–7 mm;

sporophylls ovate-deltate to ovate-triangular, abaxial ridges not prominent, base glabrous, margins short-ciliate, apex bristled.

solitary, 2–3 mm;

sporophylls ovate-lanceolate, strongly keeled toward tip, keel dentate, base glabrous, margins serrate, apex long-acuminate.

borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.25–0.45 mm diam.

axillary, 0.02–0.04 mm diam.

leaves spreading, well spaced or crowded toward stem tip, green, ovate to ovate-oblong, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.9 mm;

base rounded;

margins transparent, serrate;

apex acute.

leaves lanceolate, 0.8–1.2 × 0.3–0.35 mm;

base oblique;

margins transparent, serrate;

apex bristled;

bristle to 1/3 length of leaf.