''Sphaeropteris'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

tree fern The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tree ...

in the family

Cyatheaceae The Cyatheaceae are a family of ferns, the scaly tree ferns, one of eight families in the order Cyatheales in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Alternatively, the family may defined much more broadly (Cyatheaceae ...

. It has been treated as a subgenus within the genus ''

Cyathea ''Cyathea'' is a genus of tree ferns, the type genus of the fern order Cyatheales. The genus name ''Cyathea'' is derived from the Greek ''kyatheion'', meaning "little cup", and refers to the cup-shaped sori on the underside of the fronds. De ...

'', but is accepted in the

Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus on the classification of pteridophytes ( lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relatio ...

classification of 2016 (PPG I).

Description

Species of ''Sphaeropteris'' have a treelike habit, usually with a single tall stem, and large fronds to or more in length. The stalk (stipe) of the frond is strawlike or purple in colour, with pale to brown scales. The sori (spore-bearing structures) are rounded, with or without

indusia A sorus (pl. sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. A coenosorus (plural coenosori) is a compound sorus composed of multiple, fused sori. Etymology This New Latin word is from Ancient Gr ...

(covers). ''Sphaeropteris'' is now separated from the other genera in the family Cyatheaceae primarily on the basis of molecular phylogenetic studies. However, the scales on the stalks (petioles) provide a morphological distinction. ''Sphaeropteris'' has scales without distinct margins, whereas the other genera have scales with distinct margins.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Sphaeropteris'' was erected by

Johann Jakob Bernhardi Johann Jakob Bernhardi (1 September 1774, in Erfurt – 13 May 1850, in Erfurt) was a German doctor and botanist. Biography Johann J. Bernhardi studied Medicine and Botany at the University of Erfurt, and after graduation practiced medicine for a ...

in 1801. It is placed in the family

. The division of the family into genera has had a long and controversial history. Three or four clades have been suggested based on molecular phylogenetic studies. The

classification of 2016 (PPG I) accepts three genera, related as shown in the cladogram below. ''Sphaeropteris'' is sister to the remaining members of the family. Older sources, such as the New Zealand Organisms Register , place ''Sphaeropteris'' within a very broadly defined ''Cyathea''.

Species

, the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' accepted the following species: *'' Sphaeropteris aciculosa'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris aeneifolia'' (Alderw.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris agatheti'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris albidosquamata'' (Rosenst.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris albifrons'' (Vieill. ex E. Fourn.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris albosetacea'' (Bedd.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris angustipinna'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris aramaganensis'' (Kaneh.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris arthropoda'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris assimilis'' (Hook.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris atrospinosa'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris atrox'' (C.Chr.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris auriculifera'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris binuangensis'' (Alderw.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris brackenridgei'' (Mett.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris brunei'' (Christ) R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris brunoniana'' (Wall. ex Hook.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris capitata'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *''

Sphaeropteris carrii ''Sphaeropteris'' is a genus of tree fern in the family Cyatheaceae. It has been treated as a subgenus within the genus ''Cyathea'', but is accepted in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Description Species of ...

'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris cooperi'' (F.Muell.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris cuatrecasasii'' R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris curranii'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris discophora'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris elliptica'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris elmeri'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris excelsa'' (Endl.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris feani'' (E.D.Br.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris felina'' (Roxb.) Pic. Serm. *'' Sphaeropteris fugax'' (Alderw.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris fusca'' (Bak.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris gardneri'' (Hook.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris glauca'' (Bl.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris horrida'' (Liebm.) R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris inaequalis'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris insignis'' (D.Eat.) R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris insularum'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris integra'' (J.Sm.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris intermedia'' (Mett.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris intramarginalis'' Windisch *'' Sphaeropteris ledermannii'' (Brause) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris leucolepis'' (Mett.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris leucotricha'' (Christ) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris lockwoodiana'' P.G.Windisch *'' Sphaeropteris lunulata'' (G.Forst.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris macarenensis'' (Alston) R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris magna'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris marginata'' (Brause) R.M.Tryon *''

Sphaeropteris medullaris ''Sphaeropteris medullaris'', synonym ''Cyathea medullaris'', commonly known as mamaku or black tree fern, is a large tree fern up to 20 m tall. It is distributed across the south-west Pacific from Fiji to Pitcairn Island. Its other Māori name ...

'' (G.Forst.) Bernh. *'' Sphaeropteris megalosora'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris mertensiana'' (Kunze) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris microlepidota'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris mollicula'' (Maxon) R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris moluccana'' (Desv.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris moseleyi'' (Bak.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris myosuroides'' (Liebm.) R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris nigricans'' (Mett.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris novae-caledoniae'' (Mett. ex Fourn.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris obliqua'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris obscura'' (Scort.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris papuana'' (Ridl.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris parianensis'' P.G.Windisch *''

Sphaeropteris parksiae ''Sphaeropteris'' is a genus of tree fern in the family Cyatheaceae. It has been treated as a subgenus within the genus ''Cyathea'', but is accepted in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Description Species of ...

'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris parvifolia'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris parvipinna'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris persquamulifera'' (Alderw.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris philippinensis'' (Bak.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris pilulifera'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris polypoda'' (Bak.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris procera'' (Brause) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris propinqua'' (Mett.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris pukuana'' (M.Kato) Lehnert & Coritico *'' Sphaeropteris pulcherrima'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris quindiuensis'' (Karsten) R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris robinsonii'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris robusta'' (C.Moore ex Watts) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris rosenstockii'' (Brause) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris runensis'' (Alderw.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris sarasinorum'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris senex'' (Alderw.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris senilis'' (Kl.) R. Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris setifera'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *''

Sphaeropteris sibuyanensis ''Sphaeropteris'' is a genus of tree fern in the family Cyatheaceae. It has been treated as a subgenus within the genus ''Cyathea'', but is accepted in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Description Species of ...

'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris squamulata'' (Bl.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris stipitipinnula'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris strigosa'' (Christ) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris subsessilis'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris suluensis'' (Bak.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris tenggerensis'' (Rosenst.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris teysmannii'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris tomentosa'' (Bl.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris tomentosissima'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris trichodesma'' (Scort. ex Bedd.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris trichophora'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris tripinnata'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris tripinnatifida'' (Wall. ex Roxb.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris truncata'' (Brack.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris vaupelii'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris verrucosa'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris vittata'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon *''

Sphaeropteris wallacei ''Sphaeropteris'' is a genus of tree fern in the family Cyatheaceae. It has been treated as a subgenus within the genus ''Cyathea'', but is accepted in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Description Species of ...

'' (Mett. ex Kuhn) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris werneri'' (Rosenst.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris womersleyi'' (Holtt.) R.M.Tryon *'' Sphaeropteris zamboangana'' (Copel.) R.M.Tryon

Distribution and habitat

The native distribution of the genus ''Sphaeropteris'' extends from southern China down through eastern tropical Asia to New Zealand, with a separate area in Central America and north-western South America. Some species are also naturalized in Africa and western Australia. Species of ''Sphaeropteris'' are large plants and require space to grow. They usually prefer less shaded conditions than species of ''Alsophila''. They are found in rain forests and tropical montane forests, often in clearings or on the margins, from the canopy layer down to the

understorey In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abo ...

layer. They are also found in ravines, swamps and disturbed areas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q17166793 Fern genera