Pellaea mucronata D.C. Eaton

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pellaea mucronata D.C. Eaton

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizomes compact, ascending, 5–10 mm diam.; rhizome scales linear-subulate, 0.1–0.3 mm wide at bases, bicolorous, black, with brown, erose-dentate margins; fronds to 45 cm long, clumped; stipes 1/2–2/3 the frond length, dark brown, red brown, or purplish black, lustrous, glabrous, adaxially flattened to shallowly grooved; blades ovate-deltate to ovate-lanceolate, (2–) 3-pinnate, 4–11(–18) cm wide, glabrous; pinnae perpendicular to rachises; ultimate segments narrowly oblong, often folded lengthwise in half, pinnules divided into 3’s, segments 2–12 mm long, bases rounded, apices mucronate, coriaceous, glabrous, margins recurved on fertile segments, covering more than half the abaxial surface; adaxial and abaxial surfaces glabrous; sori marginal; sporangia 64-spored, mixed with farina; 2n = 58 (USA).

  • Discussion

    Allosorus mucronatus D. C. Eaton, Amer. J. Sci. Arts 22: 138. 1856. Type. U.S.A. California: near San Francisco Bay, A. B. Eaton s.n. (YU!, photo GH).

    Pellaea ornithopus Hook., Sp. Fil. 2: 142, t. 116A. 1858. Type. Mexico. Hartweg 2042 (K; isotypes GH, P).

    Pellaea longimucronata Hook., Sp. Fil. 2: 143. 1859, nom. illeg. since Hooker included the type of Allosorus mucronatus D. C. Eaton. Pellaea wrightiana Hook. var. longimucronata (Hook.) Davenp., Cat. Dav. Herb., Suppl., 46. 1883. Type. U.S.A. New Mexico: Wright 2131 (K!, photo GH; isotypes GH, US!, YU!).

    In Mexico the blades are tripinnate proximally and the pinnae usually ±perpendicular to the rachis and not overlapping (vs. bipinnate with the pinnae ascending and overlapping in subsp. californica (Lemmon) Windham of California).

  • Distribution

    Cliffs and rocky slopes, on a variety of acidic to mildly basic substrates; 0–2300 m. USA (Calif, Nev); Mexico.

    California United States of America North America| Nevada United States of America North America| México Mexico North America|