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.

CHEILANTHES

Plant in soil or rock crevices; rhizome short- to long-creeping-decumbent, generally many-branched, scales generally linear-lanceolate, pale to dark, with darker mid-stripe or not
Leaf < 75 cm; petiole cylindric, reddish brown to blackish; blade generally 2–3-pinnate, generally oblong to narrowly triangular; segments generally small, ± flat or lower side concave (from recurved margins)
Sporangia along margin, in discrete patches to continuous, partly to completely covered by recurved margin (generally not recurved in C. cooperae)
Species in genus: 150+ species: generally Am, generally dry areas
Etymology: (Greek: lip flower, from location of sporangia)
Horticultural information: DFCLT.

Native

C. wootonii Maxon

WOOTON'S LACE FERN

Rhizome long-creeping; scales light brown, without darker mid-stripe
Leaf 10–20 cm, 2–3 cm wide; petiole 1–2 mm wide; blade 3–4-pinnate; segments small, ± round, lower surface concave, densely covered with ciliate, linear-lanceolate scales, upper side glabrous
Sporangia generally obscured by dense, overlapping scales.
Ecology: Rocky outcrops
Elevation: 1600–1800 m.
Bioregional distribution: East of Sierra Nevada, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Texas, Baja California