''Macrothelypteris torresiana'' is a species of fern which is native to tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia. It has been introduced into other areas, including large parts of North and South America.
The species is assigned to different genera depending on how the family Thelypteridaceae is classified. If the entire family is classified in ''
Thelypteris
''Thelypteris'' (maiden ferns) is a genus of ferns in the subfamily Thelypteridoideae, family Thelypteridaceae, order Polypodiales. Two radically different circumscriptions of the genus are in use . In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classifi ...
'', it is ''Thelypteris torresiana''. However, molecular data shows an affinity between a group of species which are sometimes classified in ''
Macrothelypteris
''Macrothelypteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Thelypteridaceae, subfamily Phegopteridoideae, in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). The genus name means 'large ''Thelypteris.
Species
, the ''Checklist of ...
'', ''
Phegopteris
''Phegopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Thelypteridaceae, subfamily Phegopteridoideae, in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). They are known collectively as the beech ferns. Species are native to Asia, North ...
'', and allied genera, so it is common to remove this species from ''Thelypteris'' and classify it as ''Macrothelypteris torresiana''.
''Macrothelypteris torresiana'' contains
flavonoid
Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Chemically, flavonoids ...
s which have been investigated for possible medicinal value.
References
Thelypteridaceae
{{Polypodiales-stub