Woodwardia fimbriata

Smith in Rees

in Rees,Cycl. 38(76). 1818.

Common names: Giant chain fern
Illustrated
Synonyms: Woodwardia chamissoi Brackenridge Woodwardia paradoxa C. H. Wright
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Stems forming a stout caudex covered with petiole bases, suberect; scales light-brown, many, lanceolate-attenuate. Leaves monomorphic, evergreen, numerous in vaselike cluster, 40-170 cm. Petiole straw-colored, sometimes reddish at base; base thickened, with densely set orange scales. Blade pale green, elliptic-lanceolate, 25-100 cm, scaly-glandular upon emergence but soon glabrate. Pinnae not articulate to rachis, in 8-24 pairs, narrowly deltate to lanceolate, pinnatifid; proximal to middle pinnae 12-42 × 2.5-8 cm. Veins anastomosing to form single row of areoles, then free to margin. Sori short and broad, mostly curved and confined to costular areoles, deeply sunken into blades. Indusia cartilaginous and vaulted; cells thickened, retaining configuration after dehiscence of sporangia. 2n = 68.


Habitat: Redwood forests, mixed conifer forests, and mixed conifer-hardwood forests, always where moisture is present, such as stream banks or springs
Elevation: 0-1000 m

Distribution

V2 375-distribution-map.gif

B.C., Ariz., Calif., Nev., Oreg., Wash., Mexico in n Baja California

Discussion

Woodwardia fimbriata is confined primarily to the California floristic province; it is disjunct and local elsewhere.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Woodwardia fimbriata"
Raymond B. Cranfill +
Smith in Rees +
occasionally +  and glabrous +
elliptic-lanceolate +
25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
Giant chain fern +
sorus-bearing +
sorus-bearing +
B.C. +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Nev. +, Oreg. +, Wash. +  and Mexico in n Baja California +
0-1000 m +
Redwood forests, mixed conifer forests, and mixed conifer-hardwood forests, always where moisture is present, such as stream banks or springs +
monomorphic +
evergreen +
fertile +  and sterile +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (170 cm1,700 mm <br />1.7 m <br />) +
ornamented +
not articulate +
reddish;straw-colored +
not articulate +
12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br /> (42 cm420 mm <br />0.42 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
in Rees,Cycl. +
chainlike +
orange +  and light-brown +
lanceolate-attenuate +
discrete +
elongate +
Illustrated +
reniform +
dictyostelic +
not climbing +
slender +  and stout +
Woodwardia chamissoi +  and Woodwardia paradoxa +
Woodwardia fimbriata +
Woodwardia +
species +
anastomosing +
rarely +  and terrestrial +