Family Dennstaedtiaceae
Description: Terrestrial ferns; rhizome creeping (rarely erect), covered with simple hairs or, less commonly, multicellular hairs or scales; stipes not articulated to the rhizome.
Fronds uniform or ± dimorphic; lamina mostly large and much-divided, leathery or herbaceous, hairy or glabrous; veins free or loosely anastomosing.
Sori marginal or submarginal, circular or linear; false indusium usually present (mostly with an inner true indusium present as well) or occasionally sori unprotected. A somewhat heterogeneous family.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 11 or 12 genera, c. 190 species, tropical to temperate regions. Australia: 5 genera, 14 species, all States.
External links:
Wikipedia
Text by Peter G. Wilson
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the genera | |
| 1 | Sori circular, often in the fork between the lobes of ultimate segments | 2 |
| Sori linear, marginal, covered by false indusia formed from recurved margins of the segments | 3 |
| 2 | Indusium cup-like with the outer, false, indusium fused to the inner indusium | Dennstaedtia |
| Indusium false or absent, sori protected by recurved marginal flap or if sori away from margin then unprotected
Back to 1 | Hypolepis |
| 3 | Fronds tough and leathery, veins free; rhizome covered with hairs | Pteridium |
| Fronds soft and membranous, veins loosely anastomosing; rhizome covered with scales and/or hairs
Back to 1 | Histiopteris |
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