Southwestern False Cloak Fern

Description

Stem scales brown. Leaves 5--30 cm. Petiole reddish brown to black, 0.75--2 mm diam. Blade lanceolate to deltate, 3--5-pinnate proximally, leathery, abaxially covered by dense white farina, adaxially glabrous or sparsely glandular; rachis rounded to slightly flattened adaxially. Pinna costae straight to slightly flexuous, branches not arising from prominent angles. Ultimate segments not articulate, dark color of stalks continuing into segment bases abaxially; segment margins recurved, often concealing sporangia; veins obscure adaxially. Sporangia submarginal, borne on distal 1/2 of secondary veins, containing 32 spores.