Polypodiaceae J.Presl & C.Presl

Polypodiaceae, B. Verdcourt, B.Sc., Ph.D.. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial, epiphytic or less often on rocks

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizomes short to long and creeping with basifixed pseudopeltate or peltate clathrate opaque or hyaline entire toothed or ciliate scales

Lomariopsidaceae, A.H.G Alston. Flora of West Tropical Africa. 1959

Morphology General Habit

Epiphytic or terrestrial; rhizome wide (rarely short) creeping or climbing, dorsiventral in structure with roots arising from the ventral surface; leaf–bases more or less decurrent as ridges on the upper surface of the rhizome; apex of rhizome covered with scales which may be cordate but not peltate; stipes jointed near the base in Elaphoglossum, with several vascular strands arranged in a U

Lomariopsidaceae, John T. Mickel. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2002

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial, lithophytic, epiphytic or hemi-epiphytic ferns

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizomes short- to long-creeping or climbing, clothed with scales

Oleandraceae, B. Verdcourt, B.Sc., Ph.D.. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial or epiphytic plants or sometimes on rocks

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizomes erect or creeping, dictyostelic, with peltate scales, sometimes producing tubers

Dryopteridaceae, JP Roux, M Shaffer-Fehre, B Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2007

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial, epilithic or low-level epiphytic plants with dictyostelic, erect or creeping, often stoloniferous rhizomes bearing scales

Morphology Leaves

Fronds spaced or tufted, monomorphic or dimorphic.

Morphology Leaves Stipes

Stipes mostly dark at the base, adaxially sulcate or with a central ridge in Lastreopsis, with two larger circular vascular bundles dorsally and two or more smaller ones ventrally, not articulated, variously set with scales and/ or hairs.

Morphology Leaves Rachis

Rachis sulci open or, if present, closed to the sulci of the lower order axes.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Lamina 1–4-pinnate, anadromous and/ or catadromous, the basal pinnae often basiscopically developed, often with proliferous buds along the lamina axes, variously set with scales, hairs and glands along the veins and lamina surfaces.

Morphology Leaves Leaf veins

Venation forked or pinnately branched, free or anastomosing, with or without included veinlets, veins mostly ending near the lamina margin

Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori

Sori circular or elongate, dorsally on veins or at vein endings, often on an abbreviated vein branch, receptacle with or without simple paraphyses; indusium reniform, circular, elongate, or exindusiate, peltate or marginally attached.

Note

The Dryopteridaceae as construed here is often treated as two independent families, Dryopteridaceae sensu stricto consisting of Didymochlaena, Cyrtomium, Polystichum, Nothoperanema, Dryopteris and Arachniodes, and Tectariaceae, which includes Tectaria, Triplophyllum, Lastreopsis, Ctenitis, Hypodematium and Megalastrum. Tectariaceae is characterised by raised costae and costules, presence of acicular and/ or ctenitoid hairs, and a chromosome number based on n = 40 or 41. In Dryopteridaceae sensu stricto the costae and costules are adaxially sulcate, never bear acicular or ctentoid hairs, and have a chromosome number based on n = 41. As treated here the family consists of 28 genera and approximately 1050 species.

Grammitidaceae, A.H.G Alston. Flora of West Tropical Africa. 1959

Morphology General Habit

Epiphytes or rock plants with creeping or ascending solenostelic rhizomes or vascular system somewhat dissected; scales brown, often with stiff unicellular hairs

Grammitidaceae, B. S. Parris, M.Sc., Ph.D.. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit

Usually epiphytic ferns, sometimes terrestrial and lithophytic, occasionally facultative rheophytes Usually epiphytic ferns, sometimes terrestrial and lithophytic, occasionally facultative rheophytes

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizomes erect to long-creeping, usually scaly Rhizomes erect to long-creeping, usually scaly

Davalliaceae, B. Verdcourt, B.Sc., Ph.D.. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1999

Morphology General Habit

Epiphytic or terrestrial, less often on rocks; rhizome short- to long-creeping, densely clothed with often cordate or peltate sometimes toothed often clathrate scales which have hairs (often glandular) on the surface and/or margin

Davalliaceae, A.H.G Alston. Flora of West Tropical Africa. 1959

Morphology General Habit

Epiphytes with wide–creeping rhizomes, rarely terrestrial or suberect (Nephrolepis); tubers sometimes present (Nephrolepis); scales peltate; stipes jointed to the rhizome, except in Nephrolepis and Arthropteris where the pinnae are jointed to the rhachis