Dicksoniaceae

Dicksoniaceae is a group of tropical, subtropical and warm temperate ferns, treated as a family in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I).[1] Alternatively, the family may be sunk into a very broadly defined family Cyatheaceae sensu lato as the subfamily Dicksonioideae.[2] Most of the genera in the family are terrestrial ferns or have very short trunks compared to tree ferns of the family Cyatheaceae sensu stricto. However, some of the larger species can reach several metres in height. A number of others are epiphytes. They are found mostly in tropical regions in the Southern Hemisphere, as far south as southern New Zealand. Larger tree ferns in the genus Cibotium were formerly included in Dicksoniaceae, but are now segregated as the family Cibotiaceae.

Dicksoniaceae
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous–Recent
Calochlaena dubia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Cyatheales
Family: Dicksoniaceae
Bower, nom. cons.
Genera

Description

Species in the family are generally characterized by large pinnate fronds, 1–4 m long. The family includes several species of tree ferns, which grow a single trunk, notably the species in Dicksonia. All members of the family have long, tapering hairs composed of cells arranged end to end, unlike the scales characteristic of the Cyatheaceae s.l.

Evolution

The family is thought to have arisen in the Early Cretaceous, based on molecular evidence. Lophosoria is known from fossil spores and leaf fragments from South America dating to the Aptian. The oldest fossil of Dicksonia is known from the Eocene of Antarctica.[3]

Dicksoniaceae
 

Calochlaena

 
 
 

Lophosoria

 
 

Dicksonia

 
 
 

Genera

Only three extant genera are recognised in this monophyletic family:[4]

References
  1. PPG I (2016). "A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 54 (6): 563–603. doi:10.1111/jse.12229.
  2. Christenhusz, Maarten J.M. & Chase, Mark W. (2014). "Trends and concepts in fern classification". Annals of Botany. 113 (9): 571–594. doi:10.1093/aob/mct299. PMC 3936591. PMID 24532607.
  3. Noben, Sarah; Kessler, Michael; Quandt, Dietmar; Weigand, Anna; Wicke, Susann; Krug, Michael; Lehnert, Marcus (2017-07-11). "Biogeography of the Gondwanan tree fern family Dicksoniaceae-A tale of vicariance, dispersal and extinction". Journal of Biogeography. 44 (11): 2648–2659. doi:10.1111/jbi.13056. ISSN 0305-0270.
  4. Hassler, Michael & Schmitt, Bernd (November 2019). "Dicksoniaceae". Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World. 8.11. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
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