fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...
genus in the
Parkerioideae
Parkerioideae, synonym Ceratopteridoideae, is one of the five subfamilies in the fern family Pteridaceae
Pteridaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales, including some 1150 known species in ca 45 genera (depending on taxonomic opi ...
subfamily of the
Pteridaceae
Pteridaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales, including some 1150 known species in ca 45 genera (depending on taxonomic opinions), divided over five subfamilies. The family includes four groups of genera that are sometimes recogni ...
. It was one of the original
pteridophyte
A pteridophyte is a vascular plant (with xylem and phloem) that disperses spores. Because pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds, they are sometimes referred to as " cryptogams", meaning that their means of reproduction is hidden. Fer ...
genera delineated by
Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
. It was originally drawn very broadly, including all ferns that had sori apparently "acrostichoid", or distributed in a uniform mass across the back of the frond, rather than organized in discrete sori. This led Linnaeus to include such species as ''
Asplenium platyneuron
''Asplenium platyneuron'' (syn. ''Asplenium ebeneum''), commonly known as ebony spleenwort or brownstem spleenwort, is a fern native to North America east of the Rocky Mountains. It takes its common name from its dark, reddish-brown, glossy sti ...
'' in the genus, because the specimen he received had sori so crowded that it appeared acrostichoid.
Since ''
Acrostichum aureum
''Acrostichum aureum'', the golden leather fern, is a large species of fern that grows in mangrove swamps and other wet locations. Other common names include swamp fern and mangrove fern.
Description
The golden leather fern has large fronds g ...
'' is regarded as the type for the genus, it is now narrowly circumscribed only to the natural genus of three species, that are allied to the genus ''
Ceratopteris
''Ceratopteris'' is the only genus among homosporous ferns that is exclusively aquatic. It is pan-tropical and classified in the Parkerioideae subfamily of the family Pteridaceae.
Description
Erect aquatic or subaquatic ferns of moderate siz ...
''. They are collectively known as the leather ferns or leather swamp ferns, genus members commonly being found in swamps. The species of ''Acrostichum'' are massive ferns, with fronds up to 12 feet (3.5 meters) tall, that depend on a semi-aquatic existence. They do not withstand prolonged immersion, but require wet roots. The species ''Acrostichum aureum'' is known to have a high saltwater tolerance, growing in
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...
s.
Species
*''
Acrostichum aureum
''Acrostichum aureum'', the golden leather fern, is a large species of fern that grows in mangrove swamps and other wet locations. Other common names include swamp fern and mangrove fern.
Description
The golden leather fern has large fronds g ...
Acrostichum danaeifolium
''Acrostichum'' is a fern genus in the Parkerioideae subfamily of the Pteridaceae. It was one of the original pteridophyte genera delineated by Linnaeus. It was originally drawn very broadly, including all ferns that had sori apparently " ...
Acrostichum speciosum
''Acrostichum speciosum'', the mangrove fern is a widespread plant found in Asia, Malesia and Australia. A clumping plant to 1.5 metres tall with reddish/brown fertile fronds and pointed leaf tips. It is found as far south as New South Wales. ...
Acrostichum preaureum
''Acrostichum'' is a fern genus in the Parkerioideae subfamily of the Pteridaceae. It was one of the original pteridophyte genera delineated by Linnaeus. It was originally drawn very broadly, including all ferns that had sori apparently " ...