Flora of North America species comparison

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.

compact, erect to ascending, with a few 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.

9–35 × 1–8 cm.

5–25 × 1.5–6 cm.

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

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

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.

narrowly lanceolate to ovate, pinnate-pinnatifid to 2-pinnate proximally, sparsely to moderately glandular, never viscid;

glandular hairs with thin stalks and slightly expanded tips;

rachis with glandular hairs and occasional hairlike 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.

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

largest pinnae with 4–9 pairs of pinnules;

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

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

of relatively broad segments;

segments multiseriate most of length, usually divided and uniseriate distally, composed of ± isodiametric cells, often surpassing mature sporangia.

averaging 39–57 µm.

averaging 43–49 µm. 2n = 152.

dentate, often shallowly lobed;

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

dentate, often shallowly lobed;

margins lustrous adaxially, usually thickened, lacking cilia but sparsely glandular, with occasional 1–2-celled translucent projections.

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

tips enlarged to form whitish hydathodes visible adaxially.