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1 Leaf blades (15-) 20-100 cm long, lanceolate, oblong- lanceolate, or triangular, > 2× as long as wide; rachis without adnate wings between the pinnae; sori with reniform indusia; midribs of pinnae with an adaxial groove ( adaxial groove lacking in Macrothelypteris). |
2 Midribs of the pinnae lacking an adaxial groove; leaf bipinnate to tripinnate; [subfamily Phegopteridoideae]; [Phegopteroid clade] |
2 Midribs of the pinnae with an adaxial groove; leaf pinnate to pinnate-pinnatifid; [subfamily Thelypteridoideae. |
3 Leaves 1- pinnate (the pinnae entire or serrate, and also often undulate); veins forming parallel rows of more than 5 areoles between the pinna margin and the main vein, the areoles with a single excurrent, free veinlet; sori elongate; [Goniopteroid clade] |
3 Leaves 1- pinnate-pinnatifid (the pinnae lobed to pinnatifid); veins all free or at most with a single areole between the sinus and the main vein; sori round or reniform (elongate in Leptogramma). |
4 Stellate hairs present on rachis, veins, and upper leaf blade surface; [n. FL south to s. FL]; [Goniopteroid clade] |
4 Stellate hairs absent; [collectively widespread]. |
5 Sori elongate; sporangia with hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long; [ endemic to nc. AL]; [Stegnogrammoid clade] |
5 Sori round or slightly longer than wide; sporangia glabrous; [collectively widespread]. |
6 Basal veins from adjacent lobes of the pinna not meeting at all; lowermost pinnae pinnae of a leaf either as long as the pinnae above (or only slightly smaller), or strongly reduced (with an obvious and strong taper of the blade outline towards the base). |
7 Lowermost pinnae of a leaf strongly reduced, at least 3 or 4 pairs distinctly smaller than the longest pair on a leaf (and therefore with an obvious and strong taper of the blade outline towards the base); [Amauropeltoid clade]. |
7 Lowermost pinnae of a leaf as long as the pinnae above, or only slightly smaller (> 80% as long). |
8 Veins of the pinna-lobes unbranched; lower leaf surface with sessile, reddish, resinous glands; lower surface of costae lacking scales; [ montane w. NC and e. TN northeastwards]; [Amauropeltoid clade] |
8 Veins of the pinna-lobes mostly Y- forked; lower leaf surface lacking glands; lower surface of costae with persistent ovate scales; [widespread in our region]; [Thelypteroid clade]. |
6 Basal veins from adjacent lobes of the pinna either uniting either below the sinus (between the sinus and the costa) and therefore forming a united vein continuing to the sinus, or reaching the sinus at the same point; lowermost pinnae of a leaf as long as the pinnae above, or only slightly smaller (> 80% as long) (except in Christella); pinnae 3.5-45 cm long, usually at least the longer > 15 cm long (except in Christella). |
9 Basal veins from adjacent lobes of the pinna reaching the sinus at the same point (but not uniting to form a united vein to the sinus); rhizomes 3-6 mm in diameter. |
10 Lower leaf surface with sessile, opaque, sulfur-colored or pale yellow glands (obvious without magnification); [Sphaerostephanoid clade] |
10 Lower leaf surface lacking sessile glands (sometimes short- stipitate light yellowish glands present) |
9 Basal veins from adjacent lobes of the pinna uniting below the sinus (between the sinus and the costa) and therefore forming a united vein continuing to the sinus (this easiest to see on the upper surface of the leaf); rhizomes 3-12 mm in diameter. |
11 Lowermost pinnae reduced, smaller than some of those above; costae abaxially lacking scales; blades abaxially lacking glands or with short- stipitate, light yellow or orangish glands; rhizomes relatively short-creeping, brown, scaly; ]Pseudocyclosoroid clade] |
11 Lowermost pinnae the longest or nearly so; costae abaxially with ovate scales; blades abaxially with sessile orangish or reddish, hemispherical glands; rhizomes very long-creeping, blackish, nearly naked; [Goniopteroid clade] |
1 Leaf blades appearing to be digitate (the segments arising at a single point); [FL peninsula] |
1 Leaf blades pinnate or pinnatifid (in various degrees); [collectively widespread] |
2 Petiole branched once dichotomously, each branch then bearing 3-7 pinnae on the same side of the 2 rachis branches, the overall outline of the blade in the shape of a fan and often broader than long |
2 Petiole not branched dichotomously, the outline of the blade either longer than broad or triangular and about as wide as long. |
3 Leaves pinnatifid or bipinnatifid, most of the pinnae not fully divided from one another (the rachis winged by leaf tissue most or all of its length). |
4 Sporangia borne on an erect stalk that arises at or above ground level from the petiole of the sterile leaf blade (joining the petiole of the sterile leaf above the rhizome) |
4 Sporangia either borne on normal leaf blades or on specialized (fertile) leaves separate from the rhizome. |
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5 Leaves dimorphic, the sori borne on leaves significantly different from normal leaves. |
6 Fertile leaf woody, with bead-like segments; margins of sterile pinnae entire, often wavy or the lowermost even somewhat lobed; pinnae mostly with obtuse apices, tending to be borne oppositely |
6 Fertile leaf stiff but herbaceous, the pinnae linear, not at all bead-like; margins of sterile pinnae finely serrulate, otherwise slightly wavy or straight; pinnae mostly with acute apices, tending to be borne alternately |
3 Leaves pinnate, pinnate-pinnatifid, 2- pinnate, or even more divided (the rachis naked for most of its length, often winged in the apical portion). |
7 Leaves broadly triangular in outline, about as broad as long. |
8 Sporangia borne on normal leaf blades |
8 Sporangia borne on an erect stalk that arises at or above ground level from the petiole of the sterile leaf blade (joining the petiole of the sterile leaf above the rhizome) |
7 Leaves lanceolate in outline, definitely longer than broad; sporangia either borne on normal leaf blades, or on slightly dimorphic blades, or on the basalmost pinnae of the leaf, or on an erect stalk that arises at or above ground level from the petiole of the sterile leaf blade (joining the petiole of the sterile leaf above the rhizome). |
9 Leaf blades 1-8 cm long; sporangia borne on an erect stalk that arises at or above ground level from the petiole of the sterile leaf blade (joining the petiole of the sterile leaf above the rhizome) |
9 Leaf blades 10-30 (-100) cm long; sporangia either borne on normal leaf blades, or on slightly dimorphic blades, or on basalmost pinnae of the leaf. |
10 Leaves dark green, subcoriaceous in texture, evergreen |
10 Leaves light to medium green, herbaceous in texture, deciduous to semi-evergreen. |
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12 Sori elongate; leaf blades somewhat dimorphic, the fertile larger and erect, the sterile smaller and prostrate, the larger leaf blades 2-4 (-6.5) cm wide; petiole with 2 vascular bundles, uniting upwards into 1 ×-shaped bundle |
12 Sori round; leaf blades monomorphic (or slightly dimorphic in Cystopteris); the larger leaf blades 5-15 cm wide; petiole with 2 vascular bundles, uniting upwards into 1 U-shaped or V-shaped bundle. |
13 Leaf vestiture nearly lacking (if present, not of unicellular acicular hairs or gland-tipped hairs) |
13 Leaf vestiture of unicellular acicular hairs 0.2-1 mm long intermixed with short-stalked or sessile yellowish glands |