English: Forked ferns.
Clades:
Cyatheales;
Cyatheidae;
Equisetanae;
Pteridophyta;
Plants.
Genera: 6; ± 160 known species.
Genera: Cheiropleuria; Dicranopteris, Diplopterygium, Dipteris, Gleichenella, Gleichenia, Matonia, Phanerosorus, Sticherus, Stromatopteris.
Region: widespread; Asia, Pacific.
Habitat: tropical.
TaxonomyIn the Ppg1 classification
Gleicheniaceae forms a monophyletic group with
Dipteridaceae, and
Matoniaceae in the order
Gleicheniales.
Smith in 2006 placed
Gleicheniales in the class
Polypodianae, with three families,
Dipteridaceae,
Gleicheniaceae, and
Matoniaceae.
Christenhusz in 2011 placed
Gleicheniales in the subclass
Polypodiidae, with the same families. PPG I in 2016 used the same placement.
In historical treatments, the order has sometimes been treated as a subclass Gleicheniatae of the Pteridopsida, with the taxa treated as families here upranked to orders, so that a distinct subclass can be established for the leptosporangiate ferns.
In other treatments,
Gleicheniales were expanded to include
Hymenophyllales, treated as class Gleichenopsida alongside the Pteridopsida. Irrespective of their modern taxonomic treatment, the
Gleicheniales were formerly included in the order
Polypodiales.
The formerly independent families Dicranopteridaceae and Stromatopteridaceae are generally included in the
Gleicheniaceae, whereas the
Dipteridaceae and
Matoniaceae, although closely related, are considered separate families by most authors.
Plant theoryIn the
Plant theory Gleicheniaceae is included with the small families
Dipteridaceae and
Matoniaceae and placed in the order
Cyatheales. It is placed in subphase 2.
GeneraDipteridaceae: 2 genera, Cheiropleuria, Dipteris.
Gleicheniaceae: 6 genera, Dicranopteris, Diplopterygium, Gleichenella, Gleichenia, Sticherus, Stromatopteris.
Matoniaceae: 2 genera, Matonia, Phanerosorus.
BotanyIdentification: root steles with 3 to 5 protoxylem poles; antheridia with 6 to 12 narrow, twisted or curved cells in their walls.
Ferns.
Root: rhizomes, with vitalized protostele or a solenostele.
Leaves: indeterminate; with pseudodichotomously forked leaves except in Stromatopteris; free veins; typical fern fronds to resembling leaves of palm trees, to undivided leaves.
Sori: abaxial; not marginal; carry 5 to 15 exindusiate round sporangia each.
Sporangia: single-layered with annulus: leptosporangia; veins anastomosing maturation simultaneous; have a transverse-oblique annulus; contain 128 to 800 bilateral or globose-tetrahedral spores; mature at the same time as the sori.
Spores: grow into surface-dwelling green prothalli beset with club-shaped hairs.
MembersGleicheniaceae: 6 genera, 157 species.
MatoniaceaeMembers: 2 genera, Matonia, Phanerosorus; 4 species.
Region: southeastern Asia.
Habitat: tropical.
Ferns, abundant during the Mesozoic era.
Dipteridaceae: 2 genera: Cheiropleuria, Dipteris: 11 species.Dipteridaceae: Umbrella ferns.
Region: Asia, New Guinea, northern Australia.
Ferns; pinnate leaves.