Cheilanthes-The Daily Ledger

Cheilanthes, commonly known as lip ferns, is a genus of about 180 species of rock-dwelling ferns with a cosmopolitan distribution in warm, dry, rocky regions, often growing in small crevices high up on cliffs. Most are small, sturdy and evergreen. The leaves, often densely covered in trichomes, spring directly from the rootstocks. Many of them are desert ferns, curling up during dry times and reviving with the coming of moisture. At the ends of veins sporangia, or spore-bearing structures, are protected by leaf margins, which curl over them.

Taxonomy

The genus name is derived from the Greek words χεῖλος (cheilos), meaning "lip," and ἄνθος (anthos), meaning "flower."

Cheilanthes

Cheilanthes as traditionally circumscribed is now known to be highly paraphyletic, comprising at least four generically separate groups. The type species, C. micropteris, is most closely allied to the genera Aleuritopteris and Sinopteris (Schuettpelz et al.). In the early 21st century, many species, principally from the New World, were moved into the new genus Gaga and the revived genus Myriopteris. Further work remains to be done to render Cheilanthes monophyletic. Members of many other cheilanthoid genera have at times been given names in the genus.

Cheilanthes

Species

The circumscription of the genus was uncertain . The Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World lists species in several distinct groups.

Cheilanthes

Cheilanthes sensu stricto contains about 20 species from North and tropical Central and South America:

Cheilanthes arequipensis (Maxon) R.M.Tryon & A.F.Tryon

Cheilanthes fractifera Tryon

Cheilanthes glutinosa M.Kessler & A.R.Sm. Cheilanthes incarum Maxon Cheilanthes incisa Kunze ex Mett. Cheilanthes juergensii Rosenst. Cheilanthes laciniata Sodiro Cheilanthes leonardii Maxon Cheilanthes leucopoda Link Cheilanthes lonchophylla (R.M.Tryon) R.M.Tryon & A.F.Tryon Cheilanthes macleanii (J.Sm.) Hook. Cheilanthes mathewsii Kunze Cheilanthes micropteris Sw. Cheilanthes pantanalensis E.L.M.Assis, Ponce & Labiak Cheilanthes peruviana (Desv.) Moore Cheilanthes poeppigiana Mett. ex Kuhn Cheilanthes rufopunctata Rosenst. Cheilanthes sarmientoi Ponce Cheilanthes spiculata Mickel Cheilanthes squamosa Gill. ex Hook. & Grev. Cheilanthes volcanensis de la Sota

Cheilanthes sensu lato contains about 50 species that molecular phylogenetic studies suggest do not form a clade with the core Cheilanthes species, falling into separate clades, but for which no placement outside Cheilanthes was available :

Cheilanthes adiantoides T.C.Chambers & P.A.Farrant

Cheilanthes angustifrondosa Alston

Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia H.M.Quirk & T.C.Chambers

Cheilanthes bergiana Schltdl. Cheilanthes boivinii Mett. ex Kuhn Cheilanthes bolborrhiza Mickel & Beitel Cheilanthes bonapartei J.P.Roux Cheilanthes botswanae Schelpe & N.C.Anthony Cheilanthes brownii (Desv.) Domin Cheilanthes buchananii (Baker) Domin Cheilanthes capensis (Thunb.) Sw. Cheilanthes caudata R.Br. Cheilanthes ceterachoides A.W.Klopper & Klopper Cheilanthes contracta Kunze Cheilanthes deboeri Verdc. Cheilanthes deltoidea Kunze Cheilanthes depauperata Baker Cheilanthes dinteri Brause Cheilanthes distans (R.Br.) Mett. Cheilanthes dolomiticola (Schelpe) Schelpe & N.C.Anthony Cheilanthes eckloniana (Kunze) Mett. Cheilanthes erythraea Pic. Serm. Cheilanthes fragillima F.Muell. Cheilanthes hastata (L. fil.) Kunze Cheilanthes hirta Sw. Cheilanthes inaequalis (Kunze) Mett. Cheilanthes induta Kunze Cheilanthes involuta (Sw.) Schelpe & N.C.Anthony Cheilanthes kunzei Mett. Cheilanthes lasiophylla Pic. Serm. Cheilanthes leachii (Schelpe) Schelpe Cheilanthes lozanoi (Maxon) R.M.Tryon & A.F.Tryon Cheilanthes madagascariensis Baker Cheilanthes marlothii (Hieron.) Schelpe Cheilanthes muelleri (Hook.) comb. ined. Cheilanthes multifida (Sw.) Sw. Cheilanthes namaquensis (Baker) Schelpe & N.C.Anthony Cheilanthes nielsii W.Jacobsen Cheilanthes nitida (R.Br.) P.S.Green Cheilanthes parviloba (Sw.) Sw. Cheilanthes pentagona Schelpe & N.C.Anthony Cheilanthes perlanata (Pic. Serm.) Kornas Cheilanthes perrieri J.P.Roux Cheilanthes praetermissa D.L.Jones Cheilanthes prenticei Luerss. Cheilanthes pumilio (R.Br.) F.Muell. Cheilanthes quadripinnata (Forsk.) Kuhn Cheilanthes reynoldsii (F.Muell.) comb. ined. Cheilanthes robusta (Kunze) Tryon Cheilanthes sieberi Kunze Cheilanthes similis Ballard Cheilanthes skinneri (Hook.) R.M.Tryon & A.F.Tryon