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• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Habitat
• Reproduction
• Similar Species
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Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms:

1. Cheilanthes siliquosa Maxon
2. Cryptogramma densa (Brack.) Diels
3. Onychium densum Brack.
4. Onychium densum Brackenridge in Wilkes, U.S. Expl. Exped. 16: 120, plate 13, fig. 2. 1854, 1855
5. Pellaea densa (Brackenridge) Hooker

Notes:

Publishing author: Hk.

Basionym author: (Brack.)

Publishing author: Brack. Publication: Expl. Exp. 16. 120 t. 13 f. 2. 1854 1854

Publishing author: Diels Publication: Nat. Pfl. 1 [4]. 280. 1899 1899

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Physical Description

Genus Aspidotis:

Plants terrestrial or on rock. Stems ± compact, short-creeping, ascending at tip, branched; scales mostly dark brown, often with very narrow margin of lighter color, lanceolate, margins entire. Leaves monomorphic to somewhat dimorphic, crowded, 8--35 cm. Petiole usually dark reddish brown, with single groove adaxially, glabrous, with single vascular bundle. Blade ovate-triangular, deltate, or pentagonal, 3--4(--5) -pinnate, thick to thin, abaxially glabrous, adaxially lustrous, striate, glabrous; rachis straight. Ultimate segments of blades short-stalked or with base narrowed and decurrent onto costa or costule-bearing segments, linear to lanceolate, mostly 0.5--1.3 mm wide; stalks greenish, not darkened; fertile margins recurved. Veins of ultimate segments obscure, free, ± pinnate and unbranched. False indusia appearing inframarginal, scarious, whitish, broad, partly concealing sporangia. Sporangia in marginal, discrete or continuous sori on abaxial surface, containing 64 spores, lacking paraphyses and glands. Spores dark brown, tetrahedral-globose, trilete, reticulate, equatorial flange absent. x = 30.

Species 4: North America, 1 in Mexico.

Terrestrial, often at bases of boulders or in rock crevices, in dry to moist, montane areas, woodlands or chaparral, sometimes on ultramafic rocks.

D. B. Lellinger (1968) recognized Aspidotis as separate from Cheilanthes based on its elongate, distantly dentate segments with striate shining surface and on its broad, scarious indusia.^[1]

Species Aspidotis densa:

Leaves monomorphic or often somewhat dimorphic, 8--25 cm; fertile leaves more erect than sterile leaves, long-petioled, petioles often 2--5 times longer than blades, fertile blades with more ascending pinnae and narrower segments than sterile blades. Blade 3--4-pinnate, 2--10 cm, somewhat leathery. Ultimate segments linear, 3--8 mm; midrib prominent abaxially. Sori of mature blades continuous along length of segments except at apex; indusia linear, margins with 10--35, shallow, regular teeth or erose. 2 n = 60. [source]

Habit: Forb/herb

Images:

Distribution

Range and Population

North America

Habitat

Slopes, crevices, rocky outcrops, often on serpentine, sometimes in chaparral; 300--3400 m^[2].

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Similar Species

Members of the genus Aspidotis:

There are approximately 7 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus: A. carlotta-halliae · A. californica (California Lace Fern) · A. carlotta-halliae (Carlotta Hall's Lace Fern) · A. densa (A Pod-Fern) · A. meifolia · A. schimperi · A. × carlotta-halliae

Bibliography

• Smith, A. R. 1975. The California species of Aspidotis. Madroño 23: 15--24.

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Notes

Contributors:

• "Aspidotis densa". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Published by Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 18, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 25, 2007:

• Berkeley Natural History Museums, University and Jepson Herbaria DiGIR provider
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• Oregon State University, Vascular Plant Collection
• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database
• University of Washington Burke Museum, Vascular Plant Collection - University of Washington Herbarium
• Utah Valley State College
• , Utah Valley State College Herbarium

Identifiers:

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 17332
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13728445
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1063607-2
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PPADI07030
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: ASDE6
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 22244

Footnotes:

1. Alan R. Smith "Aspidotis". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
2. "Aspidotis densa". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.