FERN FAMILY. 



- 



14. PELLAEA Link, Fil. Hort. Berol. 59. 1841. 



Rock-loving small or medium-sized ferns with pinnate or pinnatifid leaves and mtra 

 marginal sori borne on the ends of unconnected veins, at length confluent and forming a 

 marginal line. Indusium commonly broad and membranous, formed of the re flexed mar. 

 gins of fertile segments which are more or less modified and im-mbranou*. Fertile and 

 sterile leaves similar. Stipes usually dark-colored. Sporanges provided with a vertical 

 ring which bursts transversely, pedicelled, copious, usually dark brown. [Greek, in allusion 

 to the dark-colored stipes. ] 



About 55 species, of wide geographic distribution. lU-sidi-s UK- following omr u nthen <M 

 cur in the- w i- stern and southwestern parts of North Anu-i:. 



Texture of the leaves thin; veins plainly visible. 

 Texture coriaceous ; leaves evergreen; veins obscure. 



Leaves pinnate or 2-pinnate with large pinnuU > 



Leaves small, 3-pinnate, the pinnules narrow. 



i / 



' f>Mtr* 



i. Pellaea Stelleri (S. G. Gmel.) Watt. Slender Cliff-brake. 



/'//; A St,-ll< > i S. (. C,:: 



; 



Am J jfa. 



2. Pellaea atropurpurea (L.) Link. 



Purple-stemmed Cliff-brake. 



(Fig. 64.) 



Pteris atropurpurea L. Sp. PI. 1076. 1753. 

 1't'llaca atropurpurea Link, Fil. Hort. Berol. 



59- 1841. 



Rootstock short, densely clothed with 

 rusty slender hair-like scales. Stipes tufted, 

 2 / -6 / long, dark purple or nearly black ; 

 leaves coriaceous, lanceolate or ovate-lanceo- 

 late in outline, 4 / -i2 / long, 2'-6' wide, 

 simply pinnate or 2-pinnate below ; rachis 

 dark-brown or purple, glabrous or pubes- 

 cent; pinnules and upper pinnae i / -2 / long, 

 glabrous, 3" or less wide, short-stalked or 

 sessile ; indusium formed of the slightly al- 

 tered incurved margin of the pinnules ; veins 

 obscure, commonly twice forked. 



On rocks, preferring limestone, Ontario to 

 the Northwest Territory and British Columbia, 

 south to New Jersey, Georgia, the Indian Terri- 

 tory, Arizona and northern Mexico. Ascends to 

 2200 ft. in Virginia. June-Sept. 



IVtrop. 12: 519. pi. /.>. f. ,. 

 /Y,;/\ -/,/, ///, Mii-hx. 1*1. >r 



1803. 



Pellafaeracilis'Rotik sp l-'il 3:158. 

 Pfllaca St<-ll,ri Walt. Can l-il N.. J. 



Rootstock slender, creeping, thread-like. 

 somewhat scaly. Stipes scattered, . 

 long, straw-colored or pale brown, alightl) 

 chaffy below ; leaves thin-membranous, ovate 

 in outline, 2'-5' long, i'-2' wide, 2-j-pinnate 

 or pinnatifid above, the fertile taller than the 

 sterile and with narrower pinnule* aad seg- 

 ments ; pinnae lanceolate-deltoid, cut to the 

 rachis into a few blunt or subacute slightly 

 lobed or entire segments ; indusium broad, 

 continuous ; veins of the fertile leaves mostly 

 only one-forked, everywhere apparent and 

 conspicuous. 



On nn-ks. preferring Labrador to 



British Columbia. >.>uth t Ma-wlm-clt*. 1'rnn 

 sylvania. Iowa. \Viscon-in and in the X 

 Mountains to Colorado .w-nd* : ?$ ft n 

 Vermont. Also in A-i.i Aug. -Sept 



