| Jointed Stipe | Stipe and Rachis | Height (not diagnostic) | Blade Form | Scales | Hairs | Indusium (hand lens required) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alpina | jointed half way up the stipe, old bases ± equal height | dark brown at base, becoming green before reaching the joint | 15 cm | 1-pinnate-pinnatifid, pinnae stalked, smaller at base, but not tiny | scales diminishing up the stipe, ending at about the rachis | long fine, red-brown hairs on lower blade surface | filamentous segments enveloping sorus | |
| glabella | jointed half way up the stipe, old bases ± equal height | brown at very base (<1 cm) green otherwise | 10 cm | 1-pinnate-pinnatifid, pinnae stalked, smaller at base, but not tiny | few scales at stipe base, otherwise glabrous | none | filamentous segments enveloping sorus | |
| ilvensis | jointed half way up the stipe, old bases ± equal height | brown at base, lighter above, then green mid-rachis | 20 cm | 1-pinnate-pinnatifid, pinnae tiny at the base | scales throughout the stipe and rachis, on the blade underside, and on the margins | hairs throughout the stipe and rachis, on the blade underside, and on the margins | filamentous segments enveloping sorus | |
| intermedia | jointed at the top of the stipe, old bases ± equal height | red-brown | 25 cm | 1-pinnate, pinnae eared upwards, joined to rachis | stipe densely scaly at base, sparsely above, blade also scaly beneath | stipe sparsely hairy above, blade hairy on both surfaces | shallowly lobed and hairy | |
| manchuriensis | no, persistent bases of unequal lengths | lustrous red-brown at base, becoming straw-colored, then green above | 25 cm | 1-pinnate-pinnatifid, pinnae tiny at the base | tan scales at stipe base, not above, none on blade | stipe glabrous or minute hairs above, lamina nearly glabrous | composed of three lobes | |
| obtusa | no, persistent bases of unequal lengths | light brown or straw-colored | 40 cm | 2-pinnate-pinnatifid at base | stipe sparsely scaly, rachis with hair-like scales | rachis with glandular hairs, blade with many glandular hairs | composed of four lobes | |
| oregana | no, persistent bases of unequal lengths | dark reddish-brown at the base and into the rachis | 25 cm | 2-pinnate, sometimes more at the base | stipe sparsely scaly, rachis with hair-like scales | rachis with glandular hairs, blade with many glandular hairs | composed of short, segmented hairs | |
| polystichoides | jointed at the top of the stipe, old bases ± equal height | red-brown | 30 cm | 1-pinnate, pinnae eared upwards | stipe densely scaly at base, sparsely above, blade scaly below | stipe sparsely hairy above, blade hairy on both surfaces | shallowly lobed and hairy | |
| scopulina | no, persistent bases of unequal lengths | shiny, chestnut-brown | 35 cm | 2-pinnate ±, lower pinnae diminished, but not tiny | tan scales at stipe base | rachis and blade with abundant, white, jointed hairs or hair-like scales | composed of strap-like segments |