Flora of North America species comparison

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Woodsia scopulina subsp. scopulina

Woodsia scopulina subsp. laurentiana
Photo is of parent taxon

mountain cliff fern, mountain fern, Rocky Mountain cliff fern, Rocky Mountain woodsia
Photo is of parent taxon

laurent's cliff fern, Laurentian cliff fern, Laurentian Mountain cliff fern, Laurentian woodsia
Pinnae

with longest hairs composed of 2–5 cells.

with longest hairs composed of 2–5 cells.
Spores

averaging 42–50 µm. 2n = 76.

averaging 50–57 µm. 2n = 152.
Scales

of stems and petiole bases usually concolored or with a few isolated, dark, occluded cells, scales ovate-lanceolate.

of stems and petiole bases (at least some) with clusters of dark, occluded cells near center forming narrow, usually discontinuous stripe, scales ovate-lanceolate.
Indusial

segments narrow, often filamentous distally.

segments narrow, often filamentous distally.

Woodsia scopulina subsp. scopulina

Woodsia scopulina subsp. laurentiana
Phenology Sporulating summer–fall. Sporulating summer–fall.
Habitat Cliffs and rocky slopes, found on variety of substrates including both granite and limestone Cliffs and rocky slopes, found on a variety of substrates including both granite and limestone
Elevation 100–4000 m (300–13100 ft) 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK; YT
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; ON; QC
Discussion

Woodsia scopulina subsp. scopulina is known to hybridize with subsp. laurentiana at localities where the two grow in close proximity. The resultant triploids have malformed spores and appear to be sterile.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

In addition to hybridizing with Woodsia scopulina subsp. scopulina (see comments above), subsp. laurentiana may have crossed with Woodsia oregana subsp. cathcartiana to form W. × maxonii R. M. Tryon. With very few collections and no biosystematic data available, however, the origin of this putative hybrid remains in doubt. Contrary to previous hypotheses (D. F. M. Brown 1964; D. B. Lellinger 1985), Great Lakes populations of W. scopulina were not involved in the origin of the local hybrid known as W. × abbeae (F. S. Wagner 1987).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Dryopteridaceae > Woodsia > Woodsia scopulina Dryopteridaceae > Woodsia > Woodsia scopulina
Sibling taxa
W. scopulina subsp. appalachiana, W. scopulina subsp. laurentiana
W. scopulina subsp. appalachiana, W. scopulina subsp. scopulina
Name authority D. C. Eaton Windham: Contr. Univ. Michigan Herb. 19: 59. (1993)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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