Myriopteris wootonii, formerly known as Cheilanthes wootonii,[2] is a species of fern in the Pteridaceae family (subfamily Cheilanthoideae) with the common name Wooton's lace fern.[3]
Description
Myriopteris wootonii grows fronds from a long creeping rhizome with tan to brown scales. The frond (leaf) is 10-20 cm long and 2-3 cm wide with a narrow stem (stipe) 1-2 mm thick. The leaf blade 3 to 4-pinnate and the leaflets are small and nearly round. Their abaxial (lower) surface is concave and densely covered with cilia and lanceolate-linear scales, and their adaxial (top) surface is glabrous.[4] The leaf viewed from above has the general appearance of a flat array of tiny green pebbles, an appearance that is shared by several other Myriopteris species, some with overlapping ranges including Myriopteris covillei and Myriopteris intertexta.[3]
Range and habitat
Myriopteris wootonii is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It grows in sun on rocky outcrops in mountains at 1600 to 1800 meters elevation.[4]
Taxonomy
Based on plastid DNA sequence analysis, Myriopteris wootonii is very closely related to Myriopteris fendleri.[5]
