''Angiopteris'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of huge
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...
fern
The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...
s from the family
Marattiaceae, found throughout the
paleotropics
The Paleotropical kingdom (Paleotropis) is a floristic kingdom composed of the tropical areas of Africa, Asia and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand), as proposed by Ronald Good and Armen Takhtajan. Part of its flora is inherited fr ...
from
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
to the
South Pacific islands. Species of smaller stature with elongate
synangia and creeping
rhizomes
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
are sometimes segregated into the genus ''
Archangiopteris'', and a once-pinnate monotypic segregate genus has been called ''
Macroglossum
''Macroglossum'' is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae. The genus was erected by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1777.
Species
*''Macroglossum adustum'' Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Rothschild & Karl Jordan (zoologist, born 1861 ...
'', but molecular data supports inclusion of these taxa within a broad concept of ''Angiopteris''.
''
Angiopteris evecta
''Angiopteris evecta'', commonly known as the king fern, giant fern, elephant fern, oriental vessel fern, Madagascar tree fern, or mule's foot fern, is a very large rainforest fern in the family Marattiaceae native to most parts of Southeast Asia ...
'' has been introduced and naturalized in Hawaii, Jamaica, and parts of Central America, where it has become an invasive weed in lower elevation drainages. They feature a large, erect, woody
rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...
with a wide base supported by thick roots. The fronds are deltoid, pinnate, long, with spreading leaflets.
''Angiopteris'' is unique among ferns in having explosively dispersed spores, thought to be caused by the cavitation of an airspace between spore layers.
The basal
chromosome
A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...
number for this genus is ''2n=80''. The type species is ''
Angiopteris evecta
''Angiopteris evecta'', commonly known as the king fern, giant fern, elephant fern, oriental vessel fern, Madagascar tree fern, or mule's foot fern, is a very large rainforest fern in the family Marattiaceae native to most parts of Southeast Asia ...
''.
Species
''Angiopteris'' taxonomy is poorly understood, with nearly 200 poorly defined species having been named, only a small handful of which are recognized in modern floras .
Phylogeny of ''Angiopteris''
Unassigned species:
*†''
Angiopteris angustifoliopsis''
Kuzitchkina
*''
Angiopteris brooksii''
Copel.
*''
Angiopteris cadierei''
(C.Chr. & Tardieu) Govaerts & Christenh.
*''
Angiopteris chongsengiana''
Senterre & I.Fabre
*''
Angiopteris confertinervia''
Ching ex C.Chr. & Tardieu
*''
Angiopteris crassipes''
Wall.
*''
Angiopteris danaeoides''
Z.R.He & Christenh.
*''
Angiopteris elliptica''
Alderw.
*''
Angiopteris ferox''
Copel.
*''
Angiopteris holttumii''
C.Chr.
*†''
Angiopteris iberica''
Delle & Doludenko
*''
Angiopteris javanica''
C.Presl
*''
Angiopteris latipinna''
(Ching) Z.R.He, W.M.Chu & Christenh.
*''
Angiopteris microura''
Copel.
*''
Angiopteris oblanceolata''
Ching & Chu H.Wang
*''
Angiopteris opaca''
Copel.
*†''
Angiopteris parvispinellatus''
(Maljavkina) Faddeeva
*''
Angiopteris paucinervis''
W.M.Chu & Z.R.He
*''
Angiopteris remota''
Ching & Chu H.Wang
*†''
Angiopteris richthofenii''
von Schenk
*''
Angiopteris sparsisora
''Angiopteris'' is a genus of huge evergreen ferns from the family Marattiaceae, found throughout the paleotropics from Madagascar to the Oceania, South Pacific islands. Species of smaller stature with elongate synangia and creeping rhizomes are ...
''
Ching
*''
Angiopteris subrotundata''
(Ching) Z.R.He & Christenh.
*†''
Angiopteris taeniopteroides''
Yang
*''
Angiopteris sugongii''
Gui L.Zhang, J.Y.Xiang & Ting Wang
*''
Angiopteris undulatostriata''
Hieron.
*''
Angiopteris versteegii''
Alderw.
*''
Angiopteris winkleri''
Rosenst.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4763285
Marattiidae
Fern genera