Cheilanthes bonariensis (Willd.) Proctor

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Beitel, Joseph M. 1988. Pteridophyte Flora of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 46: 1-580.

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cheilanthes bonariensis (Willd.) Proctor

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizome short-creeping, slender (ca. 3 mm diam.); rhizome scales 3 mm long, 0.5 mm wide at base, linear-lanceolate, bicolorous with castaneous central strip, entire; fronds to 40 cm tall, clustered; stipe 1/61/3 the frond length, castaneous to black, clothed with straight, somewhat appressed, white hairs; blade linear-elliptic, pinnate-pinnatifid; upper surface with sparse, stiff, 1 -celled hairs (1 mm long); lower surface densely clothed with white to tan matted hairs; pinnae to 50 pairs, oblong with 4-7 pairs of lobes mostly cut ½-¾ to the costa; sori at ends of veins, laminar margin slightly recurved, not modified into a false indusium; spores gray, dark brown to black.

  • Discussion

    Acrostichum bonariense Willdenow, Sp. pi. 5: 114. 1810. Notholaena bonariensis (Willdenow) Christensen, Index filic. 6. 1905; 459. 1906. Type [Argentina. Buenos Aires,] “Bonaria” (B-Willd. 195371!). Pteris aurea Poiret in Lamarck, Encycl. 5: 710. 1804. Notholaena aurea (Poiret) Desvaux, Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 6: 219. 1827. Type. Peru. Joseph de Jussieu s.n. (P-Juss., sheet 1333!, photo GH). Cheilanthes ferruginea Willdenow ex Link, Enum. hort. berol. alt. 2: 463. 1822. Notholaena ferruginea (Link) Hooker, Sec. cent, ferns, t. 52. 1861, nom. illeg., non Desvaux, 1813. Type. “America meridionali.” (B; photo GH). Notholaena chiapensis Rovirosa, Pteridogr. Sur Méx. 229, t. 48, f. 1-6. 1909. Type. Mexico. Chiapas: “Prope El Sacramento,” Rovirosa 1077 (PH!; isotype GH!). Cheilanthes bonariensis superficially resembles C. sinuata in dissection and heavy indument, but in that species the pinna undersurface has pectinate scales rather than long, matted hairs.

  • Distribution

    Probably the most widespread and abundant fern in Oaxaca and perhaps in Mexico. Dry rocky slopes; Centro, Coixtlahuaca, Etla, Huajuapan, Ixtlán, Juquila, Miahuatlán, Pochutla, Sola de Vega, Teotitlán, Teposcolula, Tlacolula, Tlaxiaco, Yautepec; 550-2850 m. Mexico (BC, Son, Chih, Coah, Dgo, Sin, Jal, Zac, Ags, Mich, Gro, Qro, Gto, Mex, DF, Mor, Tlax, Tam, Hgo, SLP, Ver, Pue, Oax, Chis); sw US; Guat to Pan; WI; Col & Ven to Chile & Arg.

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