Pellaea ovata

(Desvaux) Weatherby

Contr. Gray Herb. 114: 34. 1936 Pteris ovata Desvaux, Mém. Soc. Lin. 1827.

Common names: Pellaea flexuosa (Kaulfuss ex Schlechtendal & Chamisso) Link
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Stems creeping, horizontal, slender, 2–5 mm diam.; scales mostly bicolored, lanceolate, largest scales 0.3–0.8 mm wide, centers black, thick, margins brown, thin, erose-dentate. Leaves monomorphic, clustered or scattered along stem, 15–100 cm; croziers pubescent, bearing a few scales. Petiole straw-colored, tan, or gray, not lustrous, rounded or slightly flattened adaxially, without prominent articulation lines. Blade elongate-deltate, usually 3-pinnate proximally, 5–25 cm wide; rachis tan throughout, strongly flexuous, rounded or flattened adaxially, usually glabrous. Pinnae retrorse, projecting downward toward base of leaf, not decurrent on rachis, with 5–40 ultimate segments; costae strongly flexuous, 25–120 mm, longer than ultimate segments. Ultimate segments lanceolate-deltate, 5–20 mm, leathery, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; margins recurved on fertile segments, covering less than 1/2 abaxial surface, borders whitish, entire; apex obtuse to truncate. Veins of ultimate segments obscure. Sporangia short-stalked, containing 64 spores, not intermixed with farina-producing glands. 2n = 58.


Phenology: Sporulating summer–fall.
Habitat: Rocky slopes and ledges, leaves often supported by associated vegetation, on a variety of substrates including granite and limestone
Elevation: 300–1700 m

Distribution

V2 483-distribution-map.gif

Tex., Mexico, West Indies in Hispaniola, Central America, South America.

Discussion

Populations of Pellaea ovata in the flora are composed of sexual diploids; an apogamous triploid cytotype predominates south of the United States. I have not seen herbarium specimens to substantiate reports of P. ovata from New Mexico (D. B. Lellinger 1985).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Pellaea ovata"
Michael D. Windham +
(Desvaux) Weatherby +
Pellaea flexuosa (Kaulfuss ex Schlechtendal & Chamisso) Link +
Tex. +, Mexico +, West Indies in Hispaniola +, Central America +  and South America. +
300–1700 m +
Rocky slopes and ledges, leaves often supported by associated vegetation, on a variety of substrates including granite and limestone +
Sporulating summer–fall. +
Contr. Gray Herb. +
Pellaea ovata +
species +