Polypodiales

Polypodiales
Polypodium californicum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida/Pteridopsida (disputed)
Order:	Polypodiales
Families
Eupolypods I Polypodiaceae Davalliaceae Oleandraceae Tectariaceae Lomariopsidaceae Dryopteridaceae Elaphoglossaceae Hypodematiaceae Eupolypods II Cystopteridaceae Aspleniaceae Thelypteridaceae Woodsiaceae Athyriaceae Onocleaceae Blechnaceae Pteridales Dennstaedtiaceae Lindsaeaceae Saccolomataceae

The order Polypodiales encompasses the major lineages of polypod ferns, which comprise more than 80% of today's fern species. They are found in many parts of the world including tropical, semitropical and temperate areas. The characteristics of this group include: sporangia with a vertical annulus interrupted by the stalk and stomium; indusia laterally or centrally attached (or lost); gametophytes green, chordate, and surficial ^[1].

Polypodiales may be regarded as one of the most evolutionarily advanced orders of monilophytes (ferns), based on recent genetic analysis. They arose and diversified about 100 million years ago, probably subsequent to the diversification of the angiosperms. ^[2]

The 15 families of Polypodiales are listed here from those considered most basal to those considered most derived ^[1]

Polypodium clade

• Dryopteridaceae
• Elaphoglossaceae
• Hypodematiaceae
• Lomariopsidaceae
• Tectariaceae
• Oleandraceae (formerly Olandraceae)
• Davalliaceae
• Polypodiaceae

Now-obsolete families of Polypodiales:

• Drynariaceae - now in Polypodiaceae
• Grammitidaceae - now in Polypodiaceae
• Gymnogrammitidaceae - now in Polypodiaceae
• Loxogrammaceae - now in Polypodiaceae
• Nephrolepidaceae - now in Lomariopsidaceae
• Platyceriaceae - now in Polypodiaceae
• Pleursoriopsidaceae - now in Polypodiaceae
• Vittariaceae - now in Pteridaceae

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Smith, A. R., K. M. Pryer, et al. (2006). "A classification for extant ferns." Taxon 55(3): 705-731
2. ^ Harald Schneider, Eric Schuettpelz, Kathleen M. Pryer, Raymond Cranfill, Susana Magallón, Richard Lupia (2004), "Ferns diversified in the shadow of angiosperms", Nature 428 (6982): 553–557, doi:10.1038/nature02361, PMID 15058303 

Sources

• Eric Schuettpelz. THE EVOLUTION AND DIVERSIFICATION OF EPIPHYTIC FERNS. PhD Thesis Duke University 2007
• Michael Hassler and Brian Swale. Checklist of Ferns and Fern Allies 2001
• Australian National Botanic Gardens. A classification of the ferns and their allies