TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Perennial, in soil or on or among rocks; rhizome creeping to erect, scaly
Leaves generally all ± alike (or of 2 kinds, fertile and sterile), generally < 50 cm, often < 25 cm; petiole generally thin, wiry, often dark, in transverse section with vascular strands generally 13, less often many in a circle; blade generally pinnate or ± palmate-pinnate (see Adiantum ), often 2 or more compound, lower surface often with glands, ± powdery exudate, hairs, or scales; segments round, oblong, fan-shaped, or otherwise, veins generally free
Sporangia in sori or not, marginal, submarginal, or along veins, sometimes covered by recurved, often modified segment margins (false indusia); true indusia 0; spores spheric, sides sometimes flat, scar with 3 radiating branches
Genera in family: ± 40 genera, 500 species: worldwide, especially dry areas. Definition of Cheilanthes and related genera problematic; traditional limits often untenable.
Plant in soil or rock crevices; rhizome ± short-creeping-decumbent, scales generally linear to linear-lanceolate, toothed, pale to reddish brown, older with a darker, irregular central area or not
Leaf: axes generally orange to reddish brown, scaly; blade 1-pinnate, linear, leaflets sometimes shallowly but not deeply pinnately lobed or dissected, upper surface with stellate scales
Sporangia along veins, obscured by dense scales; segment margin unmodified, not recurved
Species in genus: ± 6 species: sw US through South America
Etymology: (Greek: star scale)
Reference: [Benham et al. 1988 Amer J Bot 75(6:2):138]