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 generally in soil; rhizome erect or short- to long-creeping, scaly or hairy.
Leaf: generally alike, 1–4- pinnate, erect-arched; stipe, axes grooved adaxially, grooves from rachis to costa connected; pinnules on basal side of lowermost pinnae more developed (except Pteris vittata).
Sporangia: among hair-like structures in continuous, marginal bands; false indusia along segment margins except at bases, tips, and between lobes, partly covering sporangia, scarious.
± 250–300 species: generally tropics, subtrop. (Greek: feather, for pinnae, or ancient name for ferns in general) Popular in cultivation.

Rhizome stout, short-creeping.
Leaf: 30–75(100) cm; stipe < blade, ± scaly, especially base; blade medium to dull green, 1- pinnate, proximal pinnae < others, minutely serrate; pinnae 12–20(30+) pairs, terminal > subterminal.
2n=116. Moist rock walls, rock crevices, streamsides, seeps, sun or shade; 400–800 m. San Gabriel Mountains;

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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.