Myriopteris covillei

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Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Pteridaceae
Subfamily: Cheilanthoideae
Genus: Myriopteris
Species:
M. covillei
Binomial name
Myriopteris covillei
Synonyms
  • Allosorus myriophyllus var. covillei (Maxon) Farw.
  • Cheilanthes covillei Maxon
  • Hemionitis covillei (Maxon) Christenh.

Myriopteris covillei, formerly known as Cheilanthes covillei,[1] is a species of cheilanthoid fern known by the common name Coville's lip fern. Coville's lip fern is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico.[2]


Description

This fern has dark to medium green leaves (fronds) which may be up to 4-pinnate (made up of leaflets that subdivide up to 3 times), such that the leaflets are layered with overlapping rounded segments. The leaves as a whole have a bumpy, cobbled look when viewed from above. The edges of the leaflets are curled under (forming a false indusium) and their undersides have wide scales which are lengthened outgrowths of the epidermis. Tucked under the scales and false indusium are the sporangia, which make the spores.[2] Myriopteris covillei can be distinguished from its very similar relative Myriopteris intertexta by the scales on the underside of the leaflets. These scales are up to 3 mm wide at their base in M. covillei, giving them an elongated triangular papery appearance, whereas those of M. intertexta are 1 mm wide, appearing more like a flattened thread.[2]

Myriopteris covillei lower leaf surface

Range and Habitat

Coville's lip fern is native to California, Baja California, Arizona, Oregon, and Utah.[3]

It grows in rocky crevices in the mountains and foothills. In California it is found in chaparral, yellow pine forest, pinyon-juniper woodland, and Joshua tree woodland habitats.[2]


Taxonomy

Based on plastid DNA sequence, Myriopteris covillei is part of Myriopteris clade C (covillei clade) and is most closely related to Myriopteris clevelandii and Myriopteris gracillima.[4] In addition, Myriopteris covillei is one of the parents of the fertile allotetraploid Myriopteris intertexta.[5][1][4]

References

  1. 1 2 Grusz & Windham 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Jepson Herbarium".
  3. ↑ USDA: Cheilanthes covillei
  4. 1 2 Grusz et al. 2014.
  5. ↑ Grusz, A. L., M. D. Windham, and K. M. Pryer. 2009. Deciphering the origins of apomictic polyploids in the Cheilanthes yavapensis complex (Pteridaceae). American Journal of Botany 96: 1636–1645

Works cited

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