Flora of North America species comparison

creeping for 2–5 cm, then ascending or suberect, 1.5–3 mm diam.

creeping to suberect, 2–3 mm diam.

monomorphic, dying back in winter, tightly clustered, (25–)40–105 cm.

somewhat dimorphic, evergreen, laxly arching or prostrate, sterile leaves often rooting at attenuate apices or along rachises, mostly (10–)15–55 cm, fertile leaves more erect and with longer petioles, not rooting, with more contracted pinnules.

straw-colored, 3–20(–35) cm × 1–3 mm, at base with scales tan to reddish brown, ovate, glabrous.

green, 1–25 cm × 0.5–1 mm, at base sparsely set with brown, lanceolate, stellate-hairy scales.

elliptic, 20–70 cm, proximal 4–10 pinna pairs gradually reduced (smallest 5–20 mm), blade tapering gradually to pinnatifid apex.

usually 10–30 cm, pinnate in proximal half only or throughout, narrowed distally to pinnatifid apex.

3–10 × (0.6–)1–2 cm, deeply pinnatifid to within 1 mm of costa;

segments oblong to linear, oblique (sides slanted, not perpendicular to costa), entire to crenulate;

proximal pair of veins from adjacent segments meeting margin above sinus.

entire to crenate to shallowly lobed ca. 1/3 of width, 1–2.5(–5) × 0.3–1(–1.5) cm, sometimes subcordate at base;

proximal pairs from adjacent segments usually united with excurrent vein or veins free.

round, supramedial;

indusia tan, glabrous or short-ciliate, sometimes also with glands;

sporangia glabrous.

round, medial to supramedial;

indusia minute or lacking;

sporangia with stellate hairs.

abaxially of sparsely set hairs 0.2–0.7 mm on rachises, costae, and sometimes veins, also of numerous orangish, sessile to usually short-stalked glands on blade tissue;

blades adaxially glabrous except along costae.

abaxially of stellate, forked, and needlelike hairs on rachises, costae, veins, and blade tissue;

blade tissue adaxially also with stellate hairs.

= 54.

= 144.