Dennstaedtiaceae

Dennstaedtiaceae
Temporal range: Cenomanian–Recent
Pteridium aquilinum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Dennstaedtiineae
Schwarstb. & Hovenkamp
Family: Dennstaedtiaceae
Lotsy
Genera[1]
Synonyms
  • Hypolepidaceae Pichi-Sermolli 1970
  • Monachosoraceae Ching 1978
  • Pteridiaceae Ching 1975

Dennstaedtiaceae is one of fifteen families in the order Polypodiales, the most derived families within monilophytes (ferns). It comprises 10 genera with ca 240 known species,[2] including one of the world's most abundant ferns, Pteridium aquilinum (bracken). Members of the order generally have large, highly divided leaves and have either small, round intramarginal sori with cup-shaped indusia (e.g. Dennstaedtia) or linear marginal sori with a false indusium formed from the reflexed leaf margin (e.g. Pteridium). The morphological diversity among members of the order has confused past taxonomy, but recent molecular studies have supported the monophyly of the order and the family.[3] The reclassification of Dennstaedtiaceae and the rest of the monilophytes was published in 2006,[3] so most of the available literature is not updated.


  1. ^ Dennstaedtiaceae Pic.Serm. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  2. ^ Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3). Magnolia Press: 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.
  3. ^ a b Smith, A. R., K. M. Pryer, et al. (2006). "A classification for extant ferns." Taxon 55(3): 705-731