keys to the vascular plants of east texas - Botanical Research ...

374 PTERIDACEAE/CHEILANTHES
6. Leaf blades lanceolate to oblong, 1–7 cm wide; basal pair of pinnae slightly smaller than
adjacent pair; basal pair of pinnules of basal pinnae 6 equal in size __________________ C. alabamensis
6. Leaf blades broadly triangular to ovate, 5–15 cm wide; basal pair of pinnae slightly larger
than adjacent pair; basal pair of pinnules of basal pinnae conspicuously unequal in size
____________________________________________________________________________ C. aemula
5. Leaf blades EITHER densely pubescent beneath OR scabrous (= rough to the touch) on upper
surface; ultimate leaf segments suborbicular to bead-like (C. feei and C. tomentosa) OR not so
(C. horridula and C. lanosa).
7. Ultimate leaf segments scabrous on upper surface, covered with stiff hairs ______________ C. horridula
7. Ultimate leaf segments smooth to the touch on upper surface, lacking stiff hairs.
8. Ultimate fertile segments of pinnae elongate, not bead-like; leaf blades 2-pinnate-pin-
natifid near base _____________________________________________________________ C. lanosa
8. Ultimate fertile segments of pinnae bead-like; leaf blades 3- or 4-pinnate near base.
9. Petiole and rachis densely tomentose, particularly when young, the hairs not notice-
ably jointed; leaf blades usually 4-pinnate at base, 1.5–8 cm wide ________________ C. tomentosa
9. Petiole and rachis not densely tomentose, instead very sparsely to densely hispidulose,
the hairs noticeably jointed (under strong hand lens or dissecting scope); leaf blades
usually 3-pinnate at base, 1–3 cm wide ___________________________________________ C. feei
Cheilanthes aemula Maxon, (rivaling, imitating), TEXAS LIP FERN, RIVAL LIP FERN. Leaves clustered,
10–50 cm long; leaf blades broadly triangular to ovate, 5–15 cm wide, the largest ultimate
segments (= the smallest subdivisions) 3–6 mm long; this is one of the two glabrous (or nearly
so) East TX Cheilanthes species. Rocky slopes and ledges, on limestone; Austin Co. in se Blackland
Prairie (Correll 1956; Turner et al. 2003) and Comal Co. (Turner et al. 2003) on the w margin
of East TX; also Edwards Plateau; in the U.S. known only from TX (also n Mexico). Sporulating
May–Nov. This species, which is similar to C. alabamensis, is apparently known from only
ca. 10 localities in e, c, and w TX (Windham & Rabe 1993). While not officially designated as
such (e.g., TOES 1993; Carr 2002d; Poole et al. 2002), because of its limited distribution in the
state, we consider this species to be of conservation concern in TX. �
Cheilanthes alabamensis (Buckley) Kunze, (of Alabama), ALABAMA LIP FERN, SMOOTH LIP FERN.
Leaves clustered, 6–50 cm long; leaf blades lanceolate to oblong, 1–7 cm wide, the largest ultimate
segments 3–7 mm long; this is one of the two glabrous (or nearly so) East TX Cheilanthes
species. Limestone hillsides, crevices of limestone ledges and cliffs; scattered across TX, but
most common in Edwards Plateau; mostly s 1/2 of U.S. from VA s to FL w to AZ. Sporulating
nearly throughout the year, especially Mar–Nov. According to Nelson (2000), both the specific
epithet and common name of this species are the result of its initial discovery in Alabama in
1843.
Cheilanthes eatonii Baker, (for its discoverer, A.A. Eaton, 1865–1908), EATON’S LIP FERN. Leaves
clustered, 6–35 cm long; leaf blades 1.5–5 cm wide, the ultimate segments oval to round, beadlike,
the largest 1–3 mm long; scales of leaf segment midvein and/or rachis conspicuous. Rocky
slopes and ledges; Cherokee and Morris (Turner et al. 2003) cos. in the ne part of East TX and
Wilson Co. (Turner et al. 2003) in the sw corner of East TX; also to the w of East TX in Brown
Co. (Correll 1956; HPC); mainly Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos; mostly sw U.S. (AR, AZ, CO,
NM, OK, TX, UT), disjunct in VA and WV. Sporulating Mar–Nov. [C. castanea Maxon]
Cheilanthes feei T. Moore, (for A.L.A. Fée, 1789–1874, French botanist), SLENDER LIP FERN, WOOLLY
LIP FERN, FEE’S LIP FERN. Leaves clustered, 4–20 cm long; leaf blades 1–3 cm wide, the ultimate
segments 1–3 mm long; similar to C. tomentosa but with jointed hairs and without tomentum
on the petiole and rachis. Dry, limestone or calcareous, rocky slopes and crevices; the closest citations
or specimens we have found are from the Cross Timbers and Prairies—Hamilton and
Palo Pinto (Correll 1956; Turner et al. 2003) cos.; included based on citation for Blackland Prairie