''Argyrochosma'' is a genus of

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

s known commonly as false cloak ferns. The genus is included in the

Cheilanthoideae Cheilanthoideae is one of the five subfamilies of the fern family Pteridaceae. The subfamily is understood to be monophyletic, but some of the genera as currently defined are not. Most species are xeric-adapted, and the subfamily is most diverse ...

subfamily of the

Pteridaceae Pteridaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales, including some 1150 known species in ca 45 genera (depending on taxonomic opinions), divided over five subfamilies. The family includes four groups of genera that are sometimes recogni ...

. Species now in this genus were previously treated as members of related genera ''

Notholaena ''Notholaena'' is a genus of ferns known as cloak ferns in the family Pteridaceae. Species of this genus are mostly epipetric (growing on rock) or occurring in coarse, gravelly soils, and are most abundant and diverse in the mountain ranges of wa ...

'' or ''

Pellaea ''Pellaea'' may refer to one of two different genera: * ''Pellaea'' (bug), a genus of stink bugs. * ''Pellaea'' (plant), a genus of ferns. {{Taxonomy disambiguation ...

'' but were segregated into their own genus in 1987. These ferns, of which there are about 20 species, are mostly native to the Americas, from North to South and including the Caribbean, while one species, ''A. connectens'', is known from

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

, China. They are commonly found growing in cracks between rocks. Their leaves are generally shorter than and have rounded bluish or grayish green segments. Often the lower surface of the segments is coated in a white dust, and the

sporangia A sporangium (from Late Latin, ; : sporangia) is an enclosure in which spores are formed. It can be composed of a unicellular organism, single cell or can be multicellular organism, multicellular. Virtually all plants, fungus, fungi, and many ot ...

contain brown spores.

Species

, the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' recognized the following species: *'' Argyrochosma chilensis'' (Fée ex J.Rémy) Windham *'' Argyrochosma connectens'' (C.Chr.) G.M.Zhang *'' Argyrochosma dealbata'' (Pursh) Windham - powdery false cloak fern *'' Argyrochosma delicatula'' (Maxon & Weath.) Windham *'' Argyrochosma fendleri'' (Kunze) Windham - Fendler's false cloak fern *'' Argyrochosma flavens'' (Sw.) M.Kessler & A.R.Sm. *'' Argyrochosma formosa'' (Liebm.) Windham *'' Argyrochosma incana'' (C.Presl) Windham - hairy false cloak fern *'' Argyrochosma jonesii'' (Maxon) Windham - Jones' false cloak fern *'' Argyrochosma limitanea'' (Maxon) Windham - southwestern false cloak fern *'' Argyrochosma lumholtzii'' (Maxon & Weath.) Windham *'' Argyrochosma microphylla'' (Mett. ex Kuhn) Windham - small-leaf false cloak fern *'' Argyrochosma nivea'' (Poir.) Windham *'' Argyrochosma pallens'' (Weath. ex R.M.Tryon) Windham *'' Argyrochosma palmeri'' (Baker) Windham *'' Argyrochosma peninsularis'' (Maxon & Weath.) Windham *'' Argyrochosma pilifera'' (R.M.Tryon) Windham *'' Argyrochosma stuebeliana'' (Hieron.) Windham *'' Argyrochosma tenera'' (Gillies ex Hook.) M.Kessler & A.R.Sm.

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants Profile

Species

References

External links

Further reading