Stems short-creeping to compact, usually 4--8 mm diam.; scales bicolored, with broad, well-defined, dark, central stripe and narrow, light brown margins, narrowly lanceolate, slightly contorted, strongly appressed, persistent. Leaves clustered, 10--60 cm; vernation noncircinate. Petiole dark brown, rounded adaxially. Blade linear, pinnate-pinnatifid throughout, 1--4 cm wide; rachis rounded adaxially, lacking scales, with dense monomorphic pubescence. Pinnae articulate at swollen, hirsute nodes, basal pair slightly smaller than adjacent pair, ± equilateral, appearing hirsute adaxially. Costae absent. Ultimate segments elongate-deltate to ovate, not especially beadlike, the largest 1--7 mm, abaxially densely tomentose, adaxially hirsute. False indusia marginal, weakly differentiated, 0.05--0.25 mm wide. Sori ± continuous around segment margins. Sporangia containing 32 spores. n = 2 n = 90, apogamous. Sporulating summer--fall. Rocky slopes and ledges; found on a variety of substrates though rarely observed on limestone; 1200--2400 m; Ariz., N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; South America. Cheilanthes bonariensis has been assigned to Notholaena in past treatments. It is distantly related (at best) to the species here included in Notholaena , however, and we concur with R. M. Tryon and A. F. Tryon (1982) that it should be transferred to Cheilanthes . Chromosomal studies (G. J. Gastony and M. D. Windham 1989) suggest that C . bonariensis is an apogamous triploid that arose through autopolyploidy. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether 64-spored, sexually reproducing populations of C . bonariensis are still extant.

General: Clustered leaves from short creeping compact stems 10-60 cm, stems usually 4-8 mm in diameter, bearing bicolored scales with broad, dark central stripe and narrow light brown margins, narrowly lanceolate, contorted, appressed and persistent, noncircinate Leaves: On dark brown petiole, rounded above; blade linear, pinnate-pinnatifid throughout, 1-4 cm wide, rachis rounded above, lacking scales with dense pubescence; pinnate articulate at swollen, hirsute nodes, basal pair slightly larger, more or less equilateral, appears hirsute and dull green above; ultimate segments elongate-deltate to ovate, not beadlike, largest 1-7 mm, densely yellowish tomentose below. Sporangia: Marginal false indusia, weakly differentiated, sori continuous around margin, partly hidden by dense tomentum. Ecology: Found on dry ledges and rocky slopes, on a variety of substrates from 4,000-7,000 ft (1219-2134 m); sporulates summer-fall. Notes: Distinguished from the other Cheilanthes by the scalloped appearance of the blades, rather than having a beadlike appearance, as well as the distinctive dull green above and dense yellowish tomentose below. Ethnobotany: Taken internally for pain in the stomach and coughs. Etymology: Cheilanthes is from Greek cheilos for lip and anthos for flower, while bonariensis means of or from Buenos Aires. Sources: FNA 1993, Dittmer et al. 1954