CHEILANTHES AND MAIDENHAIR. 



241 



mentosa. It is easily our smallest Cheilanthes. Ordi- 

 nary specimens are but two inches high, while the tallest 

 do not reach a length of more than six inches. The 

 fronds form dense tangled mats and the 

 rootstocks are so interwoven that it is usu- 

 ally impossible to separate single plants 

 without injuring them. 



The blade is about ovate-lanceolate in 

 outline and is twice pinnate with pinnatifid 

 pinnules, or even three times pinnate. It is 

 further distinguished by bearing the lowest 

 pair of pinnae at some distance from the 

 others. All the pinnules are so crowded 

 that the frond appears to be less divided 

 than it really is. The sori and indusia 

 are similar to those C. vestita. In old 

 fronds the wool on the under surface is deep, 

 dark brown and quite conspicuous. A 

 fruiting pinna will be found in the initial il- 

 lustration for this Chapter. Cheilanthes lanuginos* 



Cheilanthes lanuginosa grows on exposed ledges from 

 Texas and Arizona to Illinois, Minnesota and British 

 Columbia. In part of its range, at least, the species is 

 evergreen. This plant has had its full share of change 

 at the hands of the nomenclaturist. It was long known as 

 C. lanuginosa. Later the name of gracilis was decided 

 to be the older and was accordingly adopted. Still 

 more recently it has been renamed C. Feei in deference 

 to the rule of priority, this last name having been 

 discovered to be still older. Whether this is the final 

 change remains to be seen. 



