Flora of North America species comparison

usually long-creeping, 1.5–2.5 mm diam.

creeping to suberect, 2–3 mm diam.

monomorphic, dying back in winter, mostly evenly spaced 1 cm or more (sun-gathering leaves in loose cluster), (25–)40–85 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, 4–25 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, 15–60 cm, proximal 4–10 pinna pairs gradually smaller toward base (smallest often less than 5 mm), blade tapering gradually to pinnatifid apex.

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

deeply pinnatifid to within 1 mm of costa, 3–9(–13) × 1–2(–2.5) cm;

segments oblong to linear, somewhat oblique, 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, often ciliate;

sporangia glabrous.

round, medial to supramedial;

indusia minute or lacking;

sporangia with stellate hairs.

abaxially of moderately to densely set hairs to 1 mm on rachises, costae, and veins, glands lacking or yellowish to light orangish, mostly sessile on blade tissue;

blades adaxially often with hairs on veins.

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

blade tissue adaxially also with stellate hairs.

= 54.

= 144.