Lindsaeaceae

Small to medium-size terrestrial or epiphytic ferns, when terrestrial the rhizome radially symmetric or nearly so, solenostelic or a special protostele with internal phloem, when epiphytic the rhizome strongly dorsiventral, in some small species the xylem open and U-shaped, rhizome bearing non-peltate, non-clathrate scales. Fronds long-stipitate, the stipe with a single U- or V-shaped vascular bundle, the axes grooved above, the grooves and borders mostly continuous with those of a higher order, the lamina pinnate to many-times pinnate, anadromous, the ultimate divisions often dimidiate, veins free, not reaching the margin, or anastomosing without included free veinlets. Sori terminal on 1 - many vein ends, often on a vascular commissure +/- parallel to the margin, indusiate, the indusium attached at the base of the sorus and opening towards the margin, sporangia with a 3-seriate stalk, annulus longitudinal, interrupted, filiform paraphyses mostly present; spores trilete or less often monolete, smooth or with little sculpture, perispore absent.

Distribution

Essentially a pantropic family extending into the warmer temperate regions, of 6 genera covering c. 200 species. Three genera are represented in Papuasia with a total of perhaps 50 species.

Literature

Genera

Note

This family is sometimes included in the Adiantaceae, Dennstaedtiaceae or Pteridaceae by those authors who prefer broader families.