Ceratopteridaceae
Encyclopedia
Ceratopteridaceae is the family name for the clade that is now known to include the two genera Ceratopteris
and Acrostichum
.
Although Ceratopteris was long isolated under its own family, due to adaptations for a dedicated aquatic existence, recent genetic study has determined that these two genera are allied.
The former plant family name "Parkeriaceae" is no longer allowed in botanical nomenclature, due to the rule that higher taxa in plants must reflect their type division (in this case, genus). The only other acceptable classification for this clade would be to include it in a very broad Pteridaceae
, which is here conserved only as the strict Pteris clade.
Ceratopteris
Ceratopteris is the only genus among homosporous ferns that is exclusively aquatic. It is pan-tropical.-Description:Erect aquatic or subaquatic ferns of moderate size...
and Acrostichum
Acrostichum
Acrostichum was one of the original pteridophyte genera delineated by Linnaeus. It was originally drawn very broadly, including all ferns that had sori apparently "acrostichoid", or distributed in a solid mass across the back of the frond, rather than organized in discrete sori...
.
Although Ceratopteris was long isolated under its own family, due to adaptations for a dedicated aquatic existence, recent genetic study has determined that these two genera are allied.
The former plant family name "Parkeriaceae" is no longer allowed in botanical nomenclature, due to the rule that higher taxa in plants must reflect their type division (in this case, genus). The only other acceptable classification for this clade would be to include it in a very broad Pteridaceae
Pteridaceae
Pteridaceae is a large family of ferns in the order Pteridales. Members of the family have creeping or erect rhizomes and are mostly terrestrial or epipetric...
, which is here conserved only as the strict Pteris clade.