Cheilanthes aemula Maxon
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Authority
Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.
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Family
Pteridaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Rhizomes short-creeping, horizontal, 1–2 mm diam.; rhizome scales linear, 2–3 mm long, concolorous tan to orange-brown, often darker at bases, margins entire; fronds to 55 cm tall, approximate; stipes 1/3–1/2 the frond length, atropurpureous to black, terete, with lax hairs 1 mm long and hairs less than 0.1 mm long on adaxial surface of distal stipes and rachises to glabrescent; blades deltate, tripinnate-pinnatifid to quadripinnate, the pinnae slightly more developed basiscopically, the basal pair basiscopically exaggerated, texture thin; adaxial blade surfaces glabrous or with scattered, 0.5–0.8 mm long hairs, costae shorthairy in grooves; abaxial blade surfaces with scattered 0.5–0.8mm long hairs on laminae; sporangia on vein ends, margins curved, modified into 0.3 mm wide false indusia; sporangia 64-spored; spores tan; 2n=58 (NL, USA).
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Discussion
Type. Mexico. Tamaulipas: Victoria, 1907, Palmer 187 (US!; isotypes GH!, K!, MICH!, NY!).
Cheilanthes aemula is distinguished by the combination of deltate, tripinnate-pinnatifid to quadripinnate fronds, pinnules with lobes on both acroscopic and basiscopic sides, stipes and rachises terete with dense adaxial catenate hairs and sparse, longer, abaxial hairs, and lower leaf surfaces with scattered 0.3– 0.5 mm long whitish hairs. The closely related C. microphylla and C. alabamensis have fronds that are bipinnate-pinnatifid to tripinnate and lanceolate, and both C. cucullans and C. notholaenoides have a dense covering of 1–2 mm long golden hairs and linear scales on the rachises, and lanceolate fronds that are bipinnate to almost tripinnate.
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Distribution
Dry, rocky slopes, all limestone; 130–1800 m. USA (Tex); Mexico.
Texas United States of America North America|