Cheilanthes Sw., Syn. Fil.

Kessler, Michael, Smith, Alan R. & Prado, Jefferson, 2017, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXVII. Pteridaceae, Phytotaxa 332 (3), pp. 201-250 : 207

Cheilanthes Sw., Syn. Fil. 5, 126. 1806.

Cheilanthes is a large, complex genus, whose circumscription is still unclear. Molecular studies have shown the current delimitation —even after the segregation of Gaga ( Li et al. 2012) and Myriopteris ( Grusz & Windham 2013) — includes various evolutionarily distinct lineages that should perhaps be treated as distinct genera; but how these are best delimited is still uncertain ( Bouma et al. 2010, Gastony & Rollo 1995, 1998, Wang et al. 2015, Windham et al. 2009, Yesilyurt et al. 2015). In Bolivia, Cheilanthes is recognized by non-farinose, often densely scaly or hairy blades, concolorous rhizome scales, and sori restricted to the blade margins and covered by the reflexed margin of the blades (pseudoindusia). Some species are apogamous. A genus of about 100 species (PPG I 2016), mainly in arid montane regions of South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia; as redefined in PPG I, and other recent revisions, Cheilanthes appears to be absent in the U.S.A., Mexico, Central America, and the Antilles.

In the key below, certain species historically placed in, and confused with, Cheilanthes are included in order to accommodate the user; they are also included in their now-accepted genera elsewhere.