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
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 in the subfamily Thelypteridoideae, family
Thelypteridaceae
Thelypteridaceae is a family of about 900 species of ferns in the order Polypodiales. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is placed in the suborder Aspleniineae. Alternatively, the family may be submerged in a ...
, order
Polypodiales
The Order (biology), order Polypodiales encompasses the major lineages of polypod ferns, which comprise more than 80% of today's fern species. They are found in many parts of the world including Tropics, tropical, semitropical and Temperate clima ...
. Two radically different circumscriptions of the genus are in use . In the
Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group
The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG) is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish on the classification of pteridophytes ( lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relationships discove ...
classification of 2016 (PPG I), the genus is a very small one with about two species. In other approaches, the genus is the only one in the subfamily Thelypteridoideae, and so includes between 875 and 1083 species.
The genus name is from Greek ''thēlys'' "female" and ''pteris'' "fern". However, "female fern" usually refers to the
common lady-fern
''Athyrium filix-femina'', the lady fern or common lady-fern, is a large, feathery species of fern native to temperate Asia, Europe, North Africa, Canada and the US. It is often abundant (one of the more common ferns) in damp, shady woodland envi ...
.
Taxonomy
At one time, all thelypterioid ferns were included in the genus ''
Dryopteris
:''The moth genus ''Dryopteris'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''Oreta.
''Dryopteris'' , commonly called the wood ferns, male ferns (referring in particular to ''Dryopteris filix-mas''), or buckler ferns, is a fern genus in the family Dry ...
'' because of the
sorus
A sorus (: sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. A coenosorus (: coenosori) is a compound sorus composed of multiple, fused sori.
Etymology
This Neo-Latin word is from Ancient Greek Ï ...
shape. However, there are a great many differences between the groups, and these plants are now segregated in their own family.
Some researchers include the entire family
Thelypteridaceae
Thelypteridaceae is a family of about 900 species of ferns in the order Polypodiales. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is placed in the suborder Aspleniineae. Alternatively, the family may be submerged in a ...
in the genus ''Thelypteris''. An intermediate position is to place the bulk in ''Thelypteris'' (corresponding to Thelypterioideae of PPG I), which can then be divided into subgenera and sections corresponding to the genera of other authors, but to separate out ''
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 ''
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 ...
''. Another choice is to divide the family into many genera, one of which is ''Thelypteris''. This is the approach taken in the
Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group
The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG) is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish on the classification of pteridophytes ( lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relationships discove ...
classification of 2016 (PPG I).
Species
Using the
circumscription
Circumscription may refer to:
* Circumscribed circle
* Circumscription (logic)
*Circumscription (taxonomy)
* Circumscription theory, a theory about the origins of the political state in the history of human evolution proposed by the American anthr ...
of the genus in PPG I, , the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' accepted three species:
*'' Thelypteris confluens'' (Thunb.) C.V.Morton
*'' Thelypteris krayanensis'' K.Iwats. & M.Kato
*''
Thelypteris palustris
''Thelypteris palustris'', the marsh fern, or eastern marsh fern, is a species of fern native to eastern North America and across Eurasia. It prefers to grow in swamps, bogs, wet fields or thickets, fresh tidal and nontidal marshes, or wooded str ...
'' (Salisb.) Schott
Other sources place the entire subfamily Thelypteridoideae in the genus, and so accept many more species, including the following (synonyms from the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World''):
* ''Thelypteris aculeata'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta aculeata''
* ''Thelypteris appressa'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta appressa''
* ''Thelypteris bonapartii'' (Rosenst.) Alston = '' Amauropelta bonapartii''
* ''Thelypteris campii'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta campii''
* ''Thelypteris chimboracensis'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta chimboracensis''
* ''Thelypteris conformis'' (Sodiro) A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta conformis''
* ''Thelypteris correllii'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta correllii''
* ''Thelypteris dodsonii'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta dodsonii''
* ''Thelypteris elegantula'' (Sodiro) Alston = '' Amauropelta elegantula''
* ''Thelypteris euthythrix'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta euthythrix''
* ''Thelypteris fluminalis'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta fluminalis''
* ''Thelypteris inabonensis'' Proctor = ''
Amauropelta inabonensis
''Amauropelta inabonensis'', synonym ''Thelypteris inabonensis'', is a rare species of fern known by the common name cordillera maiden fern.Desv.) Morton = '' Christella normalis''
* ''Thelypteris macra'' A.R.Sm. = '' Amauropelta macra''
* ''Thelypteris nevadensis'' (Baker) Clute ex Morton = '' Parathelypteris nevadensis''
* ''Thelypteris noveboracensis'' (L.) Nieuwl. = '' Parathelypteris noveboracensis''
* ''Thelypteris ovata'' R.P.St.John = '' Pelazoneuron ovatum''
* ''Thelypteris pilosa'' (M.Martens & Galeotti) Crawford = ''
Stegnogramma pilosa
''Stegnogramma pilosa'', synonym ''Thelypteris pilosa'', is a fern species in the family Thelypteridaceae. It is closely related to '' Stegnogramma burksiorum'' (syn. ''Thelypteris burksiorum''); the two have been treated as a species complex. '' ...
Coryphopteris simulata
''Coryphopteris simulata'', synonym ''Thelypteris simulata'', is a species of fern native to the Northeastern United States. It is known by two common names: bog-fern and Massachusetts fern. It is often confused with the silvery spleenwort, New ...