Aspleniaceae Newman

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

Morphology General Habit

Rhizomes terrestrial, usually short, stout and suberect; scales not clathrate, with entire or toothed margins

Blechnaceae, B.S. Parris. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2006

Morphology General Habit

Usually terrestrial ferns, sometimes lithophytic, epiphytic or climbing

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizomes erect to long-creeping, scaly, scales not clathrate

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

Morphology General Habit

Rhizome forming an erect trunk or wide–climbing, scaly at apex

Distribution

This indusium is really a false indusium or modified leaf margin and the photosynthetic lamina of the fertile frond of Eu–Blechnum, which forms a flange extending beyond the indusium is a new structure (see Bower Ferns 3: 165 (1928))

Woodsiaceae, Bernard Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2003

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial with erect or less often creeping rhizome, sometimes forming a short caudex; stipe not articulate (except in Woodsia), often densely scaly particularly near base, with 2 vascular strands united and U-shaped above

Timothy Utteridge & Gemma Bramley (2020). The Kew Tropical Plant Families Identification Handbook, Second Edition. Kew Publishing Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Note

Terrestrial ferns with rhizomes. Stipe not articulated, with 2 linear vascular strands at the base fusing into a single U-shaped strand. Fronds pinnate to 2-pinnate with stiff, acicular and unicellular hairs on the adaxial rachis.

Recognition

Characters of similar families: Polypodiaceae: scales peltate, leaves articulated to a persistent stipe base, leaves often dimorphic. Cyatheaceae: large tree ferns with erect trunk, fronds densely arranged forming a rosette at the trunk apex, stipe bases scaly. Dicksoniaceae: large tree ferns with erect trunk, stipe bases with 3 vascular strands, indusium present, reflexed lamina forming an ‘outer’ indusium. Osmundaceae: rhizome erect, often tree-like, fronds or pinnae dimorphic, fertile parts contracted. Aspleniaceae: clathrate scales present, stipe with two C-shaped vascular strands, indusium an elongated flap running along veins.

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial plants

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizome creeping or erect, with brown non-peltate rhizome scales

Morphology Leaves Stipes

Stipe not articulated, with 2 linear vascular strands at the base that fuse upwards to form a single U-shaped strand, usually scaly at the base of the stipe

Morphology Leaves

Fronds usually with a long stipe, pinnate to 2-pinnate (rarely 3-pinnatifid) with crenate to pinnatifid pinnae, usually narrowly oblong in outline, glabrous, pubescent or pilose, with stiff, acicular and unicellular hairs that are often white or colourless on the adaxial rachis; pinna often with a small aerophore at the base; veins free, or few to many pairs of veins arising from adjoining costules anastomosing into a vein that runs to the sinus between the pinna lobes, and with a translucent membrane at the base of each sinus between these lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori

Sori round or sometimes elongate, borne on abaxial veins, with or without a kidneyshaped (reniform) indusium, to linear and exindusiate (fronds monomorphic)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Spores

Spores monolete, with perispore.

Distribution

Tropical species from c. 30 genera (depending on delimitation) and 1,000 species.

Ecology

The majority of species are terrestrial ferns of forests, though sometimes growing in swampy or marshy habitats; a few are found in open areas and as epiphytes.

Description Author

Timothy Utteridge and Peter Edwards

Thelypteridaceae, Bernard Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2006

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial ferns

Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes

Rhizome creeping or erect with brown non-peltate scales

Morphology Leaves Stipes

Stipe not articulated, with 2 vascular strands at base which fuse upwards to form a single U-shaped strand

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Lamina 1–2-pinnate or rarely 3-pinnatifid, usually narrowly oblong in outline, glabrous to pubescent or pilose; the indumentum often comprises stiff acicular unicellular hairs, glands of various sorts and fine soft hairs, sometimes hooked at the apex (multicellular hairs present only in one introduced genus, see addendum p 41); scales are also sometimes present in two African genera along the costae or costules

Morphology Leaves Leaf veins

Veins free or few to many pairs of veins arising from adjoining costules anastomosing into a vein which runs to the sinus between the pinna-lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori

Sori round, with or without a reniform indusium to linear and exindusiate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Spores

Spores monolete with perispore.

Note

* Completed almost entirely from revisions of R.E. Holttum particularly his account of the African species in J. S. Afr. bot. 40: 123–168 (1974), and Malesian species in Fl. Mal., ser. II, 1: 331–599 (1981). His own annotated copy of the 1974 paper has been very useful. I have, however, in a few cases found his species concepts too narrow. Holttum divides the family up into 23 genera and stated perhaps 1000 species worldwide. It was partly the large number in Asia (some ten times as many as in Africa) and the cumbrous nature of the Asian species being treated as one genus that forced him to the practical alternative of separate genera; but he admitted that for those concerned only with Africa or part of Africa it was a perfectly reasonable alternative to adopt the one genus Thelypteris as was done by Schelpe in F.Z. Pteridophyta. A.R. Smith in Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 1: 263–272 (1990) and in Fl. Mesoamericana 1, has recognised 5 genera with numerous subgenera. J.P. Roux, Consp. S. Afr. Pterid. 113–122 (2001) follows Holttum’s classification. Twelve genera, 26 species and one hybrid are dealt with in the present account. Many of the species have been placed in numerous different genera during the past 250 years and for some species the resulting synonymy runs to several pages. A great deal of this that is not relevant to East Africa has been omitted.

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

Morphology General Habit

Rhizomes terrestrial, creeping or erect; roots without a sheath of sclerenchyma; rhizome–scales not peltate, often bearing unicellular hairs on the margin and surface