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.

PELLAEA

CLIFF-BRAKE

Plant in soil or rock crevices; rhizome short- to long-creeping, scales overlapping, narrowly linear, light- to reddish or medium-brown, often with darker mid-stripe
Leaves erect, persistent, < 1 m; petioles ± cylindric, generally dark or reddish brown to blackish, ± shiny, glabrous; blade 1–4-pinnate; segments generally stalked, generally free, linear to rounded, lobed or not, often folded lengthwise when dried; veins generally free
Sporangia in ± continuous, submarginal bands, among a whitish to yellowish exudate or not; segment margin generally recurved, generally modified; spores tan to light yellow
Species in genus: ± 35 species: tropical, temp, few in Eur, 0 in Asia
Etymology: (Greek: dusky, from bluish gray leaves)
Reference: [Tryon 1957 Ann Missouri Bot Gard 44(2):125–193]
Not commonly cultivated.

Native

P. breweri D.C. Eaton

Rhizome short-creeping, branched, > 10 cm, 5(7) mm wide; scales very narrowly linear (hair-like), reddish brown, without darker mid-stripe
Leaves clustered, 8–20(25) cm, 2–3(4) cm wide, pale greenish; petiole < 2 mm wide, fracture lines at base many; blade 1-pinnate, oblong, main axis green at tip; 1° leaflets < 2 cm, < 1.5 cm wide, lanceolate-ovate, deeply 2(3)-lobed
Sporangia 64-spored; spores dark to light brown
Chromosomes: 2n=58
Ecology: Generally n-facing granite rock crevices, slopes
Elevation: 1500–3700 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, High Sierra Nevada, Great Basin Floristic Province, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Colorado
Horticultural information: DFCLT.