Blechnaceae

Fern ( Blechnum spicant )

The Rippenfarngewächse ( Blechnaceae ) are a family of genuine ferns ( Polypodiopsida ).

Features

The rhizomes are creeping, ascending or erect, sometimes originating shaped, often they form foothills. The tip of the rhizome is covered with scales. The petiole has numerous circular vascular bundles arranged in a ring. The leaves are monomorphic or dimorphic. The nerves are pinnate or dichotomously branched, forming free or anastomose. On the fertile leaves form the nerve rib-shaped areoles in which the sori are. The sori are arranged in chains or lines, often parallel and close to the midrib. They have elongated indusia, which open to the midrib towards. The sporangia have three-row, short to long stalks. The spores are kidney-shaped, monolet ( a scar ), the Perine is winged.

The gametophyte is green and heart-shaped.

The basic chromosome number is x = 27, 28, 31 to 37, or 40

System

The family is monophyletic. It comprises around 9 genera with 200 species. Most current genera are in Kladogrammen within the genus Blechnum. Blechnum is therefore paraphyletic at the current level. A revision of the family is still pending.

The classes are according to Smith et al. 2006:

• Ribs ferns ( Blechnum L.), with at least 100 to about 220 species mainly in the southern hemisphere, but only one of its kind in Europe: Fern ( Blechnum spicant (L.) Roth). Other species of the genus are:
• Blechnum auriculatum Cav, home. Mountains of South America.
• Blechnum australe L., Origin: South Africa.
• Blechnum fraxineum Willd, home. Tropical North and South America.
• Blechnum penna -marina ( Poir. ) Kuhn, Origin: Australia, New Zealand, South America.

• Brainea insignis ( Hook. ) J. Sm

• Doodia aspera R. Br, Origin: Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria).
• Doodia caudata ( Cav. ) R. Br, Origin: Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia.
• Doodia media R. Br, Origin: Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia.

• Steenisioblechnum acuminatum (CT White & Goy ) Hennipman

• Woodwardia radicans (L.) Sm

Documents

• Alan R. Smith, Kathleen M. Pryer, Eric Schuettpelz, Petra coral, Harald Schneider, Paul G. Wolf: A classification for extant ferns. In: taxon. Volume 55, No. 3, 2006, ISSN 0040-0262, pp. 705-731, Abstract, PDF file.
• David John Mabberley: The Plant-Book. A portable dictionary of the higher plants. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, among other things, 1987, ISBN 0-521-34060-8.
• Walter Erhardt, Erich Götz, Nils Boedeker, Siegmund Seybold: The big walleye. Encyclopedia of plant names. Band. 2 species and varieties. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5406-7.