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PTERIDACEAE

BRAKE FAMILY

Alan R. Smith and Thomas Lemieux

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 1–3, 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.

PENTAGRAMMA

GOLDBACK or SILVERBACK FERN

Plant in soil or rock crevices; rhizome short-creeping-decumbent, generally 3–5(8) mm wide, scales linear-lanceolate, with darker mid-stripe
Leaf: petiole 5–20(32) cm, 0.5–2(3) mm wide; blade generally 2–3-pinnate, 2–8(15) cm, triangular or generally 5-sided, with white or yellow exudate on lower surface, with or without exudate on upper surface, main axis shallowly to deeply grooved on upper surface; lowermost 1° leaflets each strongly asymmetric (more developed on basal surface); veins free
Sporangia along veins ± throughout; segment margins unmodified, recurved or not
Species in genus: 2 species: w North America. A puzzling complex of intergrading chemical, chromosomal, and morphological variants (see Yatskievych et al. 1990 Amer Fern J 80:9–17); for these we prefer the rank of var. but have used subsp. here because combinations at that rank already exist
Horticultural information: DFCLT.

Native

P. triangularis (Kaulf.) Yatsk., Windham & E. Wollenw.

Rhizome tip, scales without exudate
Leaf: petiole brown to reddish brown, with or without exudate; blade 3–10(18) cm, generally pale to dark green, upper surface generally without exudate
Chromosomes: 2n=60,90,120,150
Ecology: Common. Generally shaded slopes or rocky areas
Elevation: < 2300 m.
Bioregional distribution: California Floristic Province, Modoc Plateau (caves in Lava Beds National Monument), East of Sierra Nevada, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to British Columbia, Nevada, Arizona, Baja California
Synonyms: Pityrogramma t. (Kaulf.) Maxon

Native

subsp. maxonii (Weath.) Yatsk., Windham & E. Wollenw.


Leaf: blade upper surface generally with sparse, minute (0.1 mm), yellowish glands, lower surface often with many yellowish or reddish glands, margins not recurved; lower 1° leaflets 2–5(7) cm; upper 1° leaflets and 2° leaflets on basal surface of lowermost 1° leaflets deeply pinnately lobed to nearly 1-pinnate
Ecology: Generally ± shaded, near rocks, boulders
Elevation: 300–1400 m.
Bioregional distribution: San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: Arizona, Baja California
Synonyms: Pityrogramma t. (Kaulf.) Maxon var. m. Weath

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