Pronephrium Presl

Terrestrial ferns of small to large size, sometimes subaquatic on rocks beside streams. Rhizome short --to moderately long-creeping, sometimes suberect (never truly erect), radially symmetric, dictyostelic, bearing thin, brown scales with many superficial and marginal acicular hairs. Fronds short- to long-stipitate, the stipe with 2 vascular bundles at the base uniting upward into a single U-shaped vascular strand, lamina simple to mostly pinnate with +/- entire or crenate pinnae, the apical lamina pinna-like or widened and lobed basally merging with the upper pinnae, basal pinnae not reduced, pinnae crenate to entire, midribs of pinnae in pinnate species grooved above, but the grooves not confluent with rachis groove, unicellular, acicular hairs (sometimes hooked) present on both surfaces, capitate hairs and sessile glands sometimes present, surfaces usually pustular (when dry), veins in a pinnate group in each pinna-lobe or crenation (if present), almost all anastomosing to form an zig-zag excurrent vein terminating in the reduced sinus membrane, in deeply lobed pinnae the distal veinlets simple, free, terminating in the margin. Sori indusitate, sometimes exidusiate, often spreading along the veins (not excurrent vein), indusium often hairy, sometimes glandular as well; sporangia on a 2-seriate stalk, with acicular hairs (hooked hairs if those elsewhere are hooked) or sessile spherical glands (rarely both) either side of the annulus, the anulus longitudinal interrupted. Spores monolete, pale, with a continuous longitudinal wing and cross wings in most species, less often with many separate wings or papillae.

Subg. Pronephrium: veins in pinnae less than 10 pairs; or if more than 10 then sori indusiate; yellow spherical glands often present, at least on sporangi.

Sect. Pronephrium: hooked hairs absent from all parts of the plant; fronds not dimorphic; apical lamina pinna-like; sperical glands generally lacking, sometimes present on sporangia.

Sect. Dimorphopteris: hooked hairs absent from all parts of the plant; fronds mostly dimorphic (contracted fertile pinnae); apical lamina not pinna-like, +/- deltoid and deeply lboed at the base; spherical glands often present on adaxial surface of lamina and on sporangia.

Subg. Menisciopsis: veins in pinnae 10 pairs of more, or if fewer then excurrent veinlets all free; sori exindusiate; spherical glands never present.

Sect. Menisciopsis: hooked hairs absent from all parts of the plant; fronds not dimorphic; fronds not dimorphic; apical lamina pinna-like; spherical glands absent from all parts of the plant.

Sect. Gryptothrix: hooked hairs present on rhizome and usually elsewhere (lamina, sporangia etc.); fronds not dimorphic; apical lamina mostly pinna-like; spherical glands generally lacking from all parts of plants.

Key modified ex Holttum 1981, F1. Males. ser. 2, 1:509

Species in Papuasia

[Note: Sphaerostephanos adenostegius (syn. Pronephrium nothofageti) may key out to couplet 13. It has stetate sporangia without glands and differs from both these species in that the lower surface of pinnae have scattered sessile glands between and/or on the veins.]

Species in Papuasia