Thelypteris
Encyclopedia
Thelypteris is a genus
of fern
s in the family Thelypteridaceae
. If the genus is defined fairly broadly, it contains 875 species, many of which are extremely similar to one another, and is found nearly worldwide. The ferns are terrestrial
, with the exception of a few which are lithophyte
s (grow on rocks). The bulk of the species are tropical, although there are a number of temperate species.
because of the sorus 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
in the genus Thelypteris; others divide the family into as many as 30 genera. An intermediate position is to place the bulk in Thelypteris (which can then be divided into subgenera and sections corresponding to the genera of other authors) but to separate out Phegopteris
and Macrothelypteris. Another choice is to divide the family into a half a dozen or so genera, one of which is Thelypteris.
The flavaniod Protoapigenone from Thelypteris torresiana (a native fern in Taiwan) is being studied in order to better understand the Epstein-Barr virus
and may have potential in treating ovarian cancer.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s in the family Thelypteridaceae
Thelypteridaceae
Thelypteridaceae is a family of about 900 species of ferns.The ferns are terrestrial, with the exception of a few which are lithophytes . The bulk of the species are tropical, although there are a number of temperate species....
. If the genus is defined fairly broadly, it contains 875 species, many of which are extremely similar to one another, and is found nearly worldwide. The ferns are terrestrial
Terrestrial plant
A terrestrial plant is one that grows on land. Other types of plants are aquatic , epiphytic , lithophytes and aerial ....
, with the exception of a few which are lithophyte
Lithophyte
Lithophytes are a type of plant that grows in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off moss, nutrients in rain water, litter, and even their own dead tissue....
s (grow on rocks). The bulk of the species are tropical, although there are a number of temperate species.
Classification
At one time, all thelypterioid ferns were included in the genus DryopterisDryopteris
Dryopteris , commonly called wood ferns, male ferns, and buckler ferns, is a genus of about 250 species of ferns with distribution in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in eastern Asia. Many of the species have stout, slowly creeping rootstocks that form a crown,...
because of the sorus 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
Thelypteridaceae is a family of about 900 species of ferns.The ferns are terrestrial, with the exception of a few which are lithophytes . The bulk of the species are tropical, although there are a number of temperate species....
in the genus Thelypteris; others divide the family into as many as 30 genera. An intermediate position is to place the bulk in Thelypteris (which can then be divided into subgenera and sections corresponding to the genera of other authors) but to separate out Phegopteris
Phegopteris
Phegopteris is a genus of ferns known collectively as the Beech ferns. Traditionally this genus included only the first three species listed...
and Macrothelypteris. Another choice is to divide the family into a half a dozen or so genera, one of which is Thelypteris.
Species
The genus includes the following species (incomplete list):- Thelypteris aculeataThelypteris aculeataThelypteris aculeata is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris appressaThelypteris appressaThelypteris appressa is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris bonapartiiThelypteris bonapartiiThelypteris bonapartii is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, (Rosenst.) Alston, endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris campiiThelypteris campiiThelypteris campii is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris chimboracensisThelypteris chimboracensisThelypteris chimboracensis is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris conformisThelypteris conformisThelypteris conformis is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, (Sodiro) A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris correlliiThelypteris correlliiThelypteris correllii is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris dodsoniiThelypteris dodsoniiThelypteris dodsonii is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris elegantulaThelypteris elegantulaThelypteris elegantula is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, (Sodiro) Alston, endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris euthythrixThelypteris euthythrixThelypteris euthythrix is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris fluminalisThelypteris fluminalisThelypteris fluminalis is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris inabonensisThelypteris inabonensisThelypteris inabonensis is a rare species of fern known by the common name cordillera maiden fern. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from only two localities. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
, Proctor, Puerto Rico - Thelypteris kunthiiThelypteris kunthiiThelypteris kunthii is the most common of the maiden ferns in the southeastern United States south of the fall line. It ranges westward to eastern Texas. It usually grows in moist to dry terrestrial situations, but can also be epipetric. It often grows as a greenhouse escape in areas north of its...
(Desv.) Morton (=T. normalis), southeastern United States - Thelypteris macraThelypteris macraThelypteris macra is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris nevadensisThelypteris nevadensisThelypteris nevadensis is a species of fern known by the common names Sierra marsh fern, Sierra wood fern, and Nevada marsh fern. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to the mountains of northern California, where it grows in moist wooded areas, streamsides, meadows, and...
(Baker) Clute ex Morton, western North America - Thelypteris noveboracensisThelypteris noveboracensisThelypteris noveboracensis, or the New York fern, is a fern found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. It is distinctive by its pinnae tapering to the base of the frond, and by its forming extensive clonal colonies on ridgetops and mountain benches...
(L.) Nieuwl., New York fern, eastern North America - Thelypteris palustrisThelypteris palustrisThelypteris palustris, or the marsh fern, is a fern native to eastern North America and across Eurasia. It prefers to grow in marshy situations in full sun.-References:*...
Schott, eastern marsh fern, eastern North America - Thelypteris pilosaThelypteris pilosaThelypteris pilosa is a species of fern known by the common names hairy maiden fern, softhairy maiden fern, and streak-sorus fern. It is native to Mexico and Central America, with one variety occurring in the United States. The fern has a disjunct distribution, with var. alabamensis known from...
, (M. Martens & Galeotti) Crawford, Mexico, Central America, Alabama - Thelypteris puberulaThelypteris puberulaThelypteris puberula is a species of fern known by the common name showy maiden fern. The variety Thelypteris puberula var. sonorensis is known by the common name Sonoran maiden fern....
(Baker) Morton, Mexico, southwestern US - Thelypteris rosenstockiiThelypteris rosenstockiiThelypteris rosenstockii is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, (C.Chr.) R.M.Tryon, endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris semilunataThelypteris semilunataThelypteris semilunata is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:* Navarrete, H. & Pitman, N. 2003. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
, (Sodiro) A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris simulata, (Davenport) Nieuwl., Bog fern, Massachusetts fern, eastern North America
- Thelypteris subtilisThelypteris subtilisThelypteris subtilis is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador and was found in the Andean forest. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat destruction, but apart from that, there are no other known...
, A.R.Sm., endemic to Ecuador - Thelypteris verecundaThelypteris verecundaThelypteris verecunda is a rare species of fern known by the common name Barrio Charcas maiden fern. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from only three localities. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
, Proctor, Puerto Rico - Thelypteris yaucoensisThelypteris yaucoensisThelypteris yaucoensis is a rare species of fern known by the common name Puerto Rico maiden fern. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from only three localities. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
, Proctor, Puerto Rico
The flavaniod Protoapigenone from Thelypteris torresiana (a native fern in Taiwan) is being studied in order to better understand the Epstein-Barr virus
Epstein-Barr virus
The Epstein–Barr virus , also called human herpesvirus 4 , is a virus of the herpes family and is one of the most common viruses in humans. It is best known as the cause of infectious mononucleosis...
and may have potential in treating ovarian cancer.