Flora of North America species comparison

compact to creeping, erect to horizontal, with few to many persistent petiole bases of unequal lengths;

scales often uniformly brown but at least some bicolored with dark central stripe and pale brown margins, narrowly lanceolate.

compact, erect to ascending, with few to many persistent petiole bases of unequal lengths;

scales uniformly brown or bicolored with dark central stripe and pale brown margins, ovate to narrowly lanceolate.

8–60 × 2.5–12 cm.

9–35 × 1–8 cm.

light brown or straw-colored when mature, occasionally darker at very base, not articulate above base, relatively brittle and easily shattered.

usually reddish brown to dark purple proximally when mature, not articulate above base, relatively brittle and easily shattered.

lanceolate to ovate, 2-pinnate to 2-pinnate-pinnatifid proximally, moderately glandular, rarely somewhat viscid;

many glandular hairs with thick stalks and distinctly bulbous tips;

rachis with glandular hairs and scattered, often hairlike scales.

lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 2-pinnate proximally, moderately glandular, rarely somewhat viscid;

most glandular hairs with thick stalks and distinctly bulbous tips;

rachis usually with abundant glandular and nonglandular hairs.

ovate-deltate to elliptic, longer than wide, abruptly tapered to a rounded or broadly acute apex, occasionally attenuate;

largest pinnae with 5–14 pairs of pinnules;

abaxial and adaxial surfaces glandular, lacking nonglandular hairs or scales.

lanceolate-deltate to ovate, longer than wide, abruptly tapered to a rounded or broadly acute apex, occasionally attenuate;

largest pinnae with 5–14 pairs of pinnules;

abaxial and adaxial surfaces glandular and sparsely villous, with flattened, multicellular hairs concentrated along midribs.

of relatively broad, nonfilamentous segments, these multiseriate throughout, composed of ± isodiametric cells, entire or glandular along distal edge, concealed by or slightly surpassing mature sporangia.

of filamentous or nonfilamentous segments, these multiseriate proximally, often uniseriate distally, composed of ± isodiametric cells, concealed by or slightly surpassing mature sporangia.

averaging 35–47 µm.

averaging 39–57 µm.

dentate, sometimes deeply lobed;

margins nonlustrous, thin, with occasional glands, lacking cilia or translucent projections.

dentate, often shallowly lobed;

margins nonlustrous, thin, slightly glandular and occasionally ciliate with isolated, multicellular hairs, lacking translucent projections.

tips usually enlarged to form whitish hydathodes visible adaxially.

tips slightly (if at all) enlarged, barely visible adaxially.