''Gymnocarpium'' is a small genus of ferns, called oak ferns. It was once placed with various other groups, including the dryopteroid ferns and the athyrioid ferns.

Cladistic Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is ...

analysis has demonstrated that ''Gymnocarpium'' and ''

Cystopteris ''Cystopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Cystopteridaceae. These are known generally as bladderferns or fragile ferns. They grow in temperate areas worldwide. This is a very diverse genus and within a species individuals can look quite ...

'' form a natural but relatively primitive clade that is basal to the asplenioid, thelypterioid, and athyrioid ferns comprehensively. ''Gymnocarpium'' sori are small, round and naked. These ferns generally have a slender, creeping rhizome under the surface of the ground, and fairly thin-textured fronds.

Phylogeny

This genus includes the following species:

References

External links

''Gymnocarpium'' world species list
Fern genera Taxa named by Edward Newman {{Polypodiales-stub