botanywoman's Favorites

If this taxon actually exists, this probably has to be one. (:-) The stem segments are at least 20 cm wide. It is hard to be more precise than this in my pix, since in the first pix, the pads are closer to the camera than Joe's foot, and in the second pix my hand is closer to the camera than the pads.

M. clevelandii is the frond on the right in all of these pix, with M. covillei on the left.

For a discussion of these two species, using these photographs, see:

http://tchester.org/plants/analysis/cheilanthes/clevelandii_covillei.html

These fronds were from plants in fairly close proximity on this trail, but not exactly at the same spot, which is why the position uncertainty is 40 m.

PCT North of Warner Springs. There were hundreds of plants of M. clevelandii in the four miles north of Warner Springs, with just four total plants of M. covillei.