Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

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Perennial, in soil or on or among rocks; rhizome creeping to erect, scaly.
Leaf: generally all ± alike (or of 2 kinds, fertile, sterile), generally < 50 cm, often < 25 cm; stipe generally thin, wiry, often dark, ×-section with vascular strands generally 1–3, less often many in circle; blade generally pinnate or ± palmate-pinnate (see Adiantum), often >= 2- compound, abaxially often with glands, ± powdery exudate, hairs, or scales; segments round, oblong, fan-shaped, or other, veins generally free.
Sporangia: in sori or not, marginal, submarginal, or along veins, covered by recurved, often modified segment margins (false indusia) or not; true indusia 0; spores spheric, sides flat or not, scar with 3 radiating branches.
± 40 genera, 500 species: worldwide, especially dry areas. [Windham 1993 FNANM 2:122–186] Definition of Cheilanthes, related genera problematic; traditional limits often untenable. —Scientific Editors: Alan R. Smith, Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Pteridaceae

Plant in soil or rock crevices; rhizome short-creeping- decumbent, scales lance-elongate, generally dark, with narrow, lighter margin or not.
Leaf: ± alike or fertile, sterile ± dissimilar; axes grooved, light to dark brown; blade 3–4- pinnate, ovate-triangular to 5-sided, glabrous, adaxially ± glossy; pinnae long, narrow, tip pointed, sterile.
Sporangia: in small clusters or continuous along margin; false indusia scarious, irregularly toothed.
4 species: generally w North America, also e Can, ± dry, mtn areas. (Greek: shield-bearer, from shield-like false indusia in Aspidotis californica)

Leaf: (2)3- pinnate, 15–20(30+) cm, leathery, fertile, sterile ± dissimilar; pinnae pinnately dissected or not, segments linear, ± entire.
Sporangia: false indusia continuous along both sides of segment midvein, with many shallow, regular teeth.
2n=60. Slopes, crevices, outcrops, especially serpentine; 100–3400 m. Northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Western California, Peninsular Ranges;

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Red area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon; markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may have georeferencing or identification issues.
Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.	Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.