''Mycopteris'' 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 n ...

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 except ...

s in the family

Polypodiaceae Polypodiaceae is a family of ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the family includes around 65 genera and an estimated 1,650 species and is placed in the order Polypodiales, suborder Polypodiineae. A broade ...

, subfamily

Grammitidoideae Grammitidoideae is a subfamily of the fern family Polypodiaceae, whose members are informally known as grammitids. It comprises a clade of about 750 species. They are distributed over higher elevations in both the Old and New World. This group w ...

, according to 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). It is known from the American tropics.

Description

Most members of the genus are

epiphytes An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

, although some grow on soil or on rocks.

Taxonomy

The genus was first described by Michael Sundue in 2014 to receive some of the species of the genus ''

Terpsichore In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (; grc-gre, Τερψιχόρη, "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance". Appearanc ...

''. When that genus was described by Alan R. Smith in 1993, he divided it into five informal groups. Subsequent morphological and molecular studies showed that ''Terpsichore'' was

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...

, but its groups were largely

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic ...

and could furnish the basis of new genera. These genera were described over the next several years; Sundue's new genus ''Mycopteris'', encompassing the ''T. taxifolia'' group, was the last group to be removed from ''Terpsichore sensu lato''. The name "''Mycopteris''" is derived from the Greek roots ''myco''-, "fungus", and ''-pteris'', "fern", referring to the near-universal association of these ferns with the

ascomycete Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The d ...

fungus ''

Acrospermum ''Acrospermum'' is a genus of fungus, fungi within the Acrospermaceae family. Species *''Acrospermum adeanum'' *''Acrospermum antennariicola'' *''Acrospermum bromeliacearum'' *''Acrospermum chilense'' *''Acrospermum compressum'' *''Acrospermum c ...

''. Sundue initially placed seventeen species in the genus, one of which was newly described and another elevated from a variety. He suggested that another five to ten species might be described after the completion of a monograph on the genus. In 2017, he described a new species, ''

Mycopteris martiniana ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'', from

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

Species

, the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' accepted the following species: *''

Mycopteris alsopteris ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (

C.V.Morton Conrad Vernon Morton (24 October 1905 – 29 July 1972) was an American botanist who did notable writings on Ferns. He was also a specialist in Gesneriaceae and Solanaceae for the Smithsonian Institution from 1928. In 1938, botanists Standl. & ...

) Sundue *''

Mycopteris amphidasyon ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (

Mett. Georg Heinrich Mettenius (24 November 1823 – 18 August 1866) was a German botanist born in Frankfurt am Main. He was son-in-law to botanist Alexander Braun (1805–1877). In 1845 he received his medical doctorate from the University of Heidelbe ...

) Sundue *''

Mycopteris attenuatissima ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (

Copel. Edwin Bingham Copeland (September 30, 1873 – March 16, 1964) was an American botanist and agriculturist. He is known for founding the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna and for being one of the America's l ...

) Sundue *''

Mycopteris costaricensis ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (Rosenst.) Sundue *''

Mycopteris cretata ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' ( Maxon) Sundue *''

Mycopteris grata ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' ( Fée) Sundue *''

Mycopteris leucolepis ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters *Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South A ...

) Sundue *''

Mycopteris leucosticta ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (

J.Sm. John Smith (1798–1888) was a British botanist who was the first curator at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Kew Gardens), starting in 1841. He had first been employed at the gardens as a stove boy (stoking stoves to warm the greenhouses) in 1822. ...

) Sundue *''

Mycopteris longicaulis ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (Sundue & M.Kessler) Sundue *'' Mycopteris longipilosa'' Sundue *''

'' Sundue *'' Mycopteris pirrensis'' (A.R.Sm.) Sundue *'' Mycopteris praeceps'' (Sundue & M.Kessler) Sundue *'' Mycopteris semihirsuta'' (

Klotzsch Johann Friedrich Klotzsch (9 June 1805 – 5 November 1860) was a German pharmacist and botanist. His principal work was in the field of mycology, with the study and description of many species of mushroom. Klotzsch was born in Wittenberg. Origi ...

) Sundue *'' Mycopteris steyermarkii'' (Labiak) Sundue *'' Mycopteris subtilis'' (Kunze ex Klotzsch) Sundue *''

Mycopteris taxifolia ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' ( L.) Sundue *'' Mycopteris zeledoniana'' ( Lellinger) Sundue

Distribution

Members of the genus are found from Mexico east into the East Indies and south to Bolivia.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q30110755 Polypodiaceae Fern genera