Cheilanthes myriophylla Desv.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Pteridaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cheilanthes myriophylla Desv.

  • Description

    Species Description - Rhizomes compact, horizontal, 2–3 mm diam.; rhizome scales linear-lanceolate, bicolorous, with black to dark brown, lustrous, central streak and tan margins, ca. 5 mm long, entire; fronds to 45 cm long, clumped; stipes ca. 1/3 the frond length, castaneous to atropurpureous, terete, liberally clothed with appressed pale hairs 2 mm long and occasional linear scales 2 mm long; blades narrowly to ovate-lanceolate, 4-pinnate, the segments bead-like, 0.5 mm wide, discrete; adaxial surfaces glabrous or with scattered, fine, flexuous, white hairs; abaxial surfaces obscured by white to rusty brown ovate-lanceolate non-ciliate scales on axes, covering the segments, and overlying the scattered tan, flexuous hairs on the segments; laminar margins recurved, but only slightly modified into 0.1–0.3 mm wide false indusia; spores tan; 2n = 174 (Peru), ca. 180 (Mor).

  • Discussion

    Type. Peru. s. coll. s.n. (P-Desv.!).

    Cheilanthes paleacea M. Martens & Galeotti, Me´m. Foug. Mexique 76, pl. 21, f. 2. 1842. Type. Mexico. Me´xico to Tampico, Mextitla´n, Cuesta Blanca, Galeotti 6429 (BR!; isotype BR!, frag. US!).

    Myriopteris intermedia E. Fourn., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 27: 328. 1880, hom. illeg., non Fe´e, 1852. Cheilanthes intermedia Baker, Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 5: 213. 1891. Cheilanthes fournieri C. Chr., Index Filic. 174. 1905. Type. Mexico. San Luis Potosi´: Schaffner 23 (P!).

    Cheilanthes myriophylla resembles C. lendigera in its bead-like segments but is distinct by its dense covering of scales rather than hairs on the segments abaxially. Cheilanthes myriophylla is also similar to C. wootonii, C. covillei, and C. clevelandii in the bead-like segments and scaly blades, but the rhizomes of C. myriophylla are compact (vs. creeping) and usually with hairs on the adaxial blade surfaces.

  • Distribution

    Dry, rocky slopes, basalt or limestone, rarely in moist oak woods; 900–3000 m. Mexico; Guat, Hond, Salv, Nic; Hisp; Col, Ven, Ec, Peru, Braz, Bol, Chile, Arg.

    Guatemala Central America| Honduras Central America| El Salvador Central America| West Indies| Amazonas Ecuador South America| Brazil South America| Chile South America|