Gleicheniaceae
| Forked ferns | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Diplopterygium pinnatum of the Gleichenioideae | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pteridophyta (but see text) |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida / Pteridopsida (disputed) |
| Order: | Gleicheniales (but see text) |
| Family: |
Gleicheniaceae (R.Br.) C.Presl |
| Synonyms | |
|
Dicranopteridaceae |
|
Dicranopteridaceae
Stromatopteridaceae
The forked ferns are the family Gleicheniaceae, which includes six genera and 165 known species. They are sometimes – like all ferns – placed in an infradivision Monilophytes of subdivision Euphyllophytina, allowing for more precise phylogenetic arrangement of the tracheophytes. More conventionally, the name Pteridophyta, ranked as a division, is used in lieu of the Monilophytes. The formerly independent families Dicranopteridaceae and Stromatopteridaceae are nowadays generally included in the Gleicheniaceae, whereas the Dipteridaceae and Matoniaceae, though closely related, are considered spearate families by most authors.
These tropical ferns are the most widespread living lineage of Gleicheniales. Their rhizomes have a "vitalized" protostele or in some taxa a solenostele. The leaves are indeterminate, with pseudodichotomously forked leaves except in Stromatopteris, and free veins. The sori are abaxial but not marginal and carry 5–15 exindusiate round sporangia each. These have a transverse-oblique annulus and contain 128 to 800 bilateral or globose-tetrahedral spores. The sori and sporangia mature at the same time, and the spores grow into surface-dwelling green prothalliums beset with club-shaped hairs.
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Wikipedia