Danaea Sellowiana

''Danaea'' is a fern genus of approximately 50 species in the eusporangiate fern family Marattiaceae. They are small to intermediately large ferns with erect or creeping rhizomes and usually once-pinnate leaves with opposite pinnae. The fertile leaves are contracted, acrostichoid and covered below with sunken, linear synangia. The genus ''Danaea'' has a neotropical distribution, occurring from southern Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America to Bolivia, Paraguay and the Mata Atlantica in Brazil and Northern Argentina. There is also a population on Isla del Coco (Cocos Island) in the Pacific.

The genus name of ''Danaea'' is named after the Greek mythology, Danaë, an Argive princess and mother of the hero Perseus by Zeus.

Two species ''Danaea carillensis'' (Costa Rica) and ''D. simplicifolia'' (Guianas, Brazil, Trinidad) have simple, undivided leaves, and some other species sometimes have bipinnate leaves (''D. atlantica, D. bipinnata, D. nodosa, D. urbanii''). One species '' Danaea kalevala'' of the Lesser Antilles was named in honour of the Finnish heroic epic Kalevala.

The basal chromosome number for this genus is ''2n=80''. The type species is ''Danaea nodosa''.

Taxonomy

''Danaea'' is the basal lineage in the Marattiaceae and the oldest fossils are from the Paleocene, a period where rainforests became more abundant. It has radiated in these early rainforests and presently counts about 50 species in 3 sections: sect. ''Danaea'', sect. ''Arthrodanaea'' and sect. ''Holodanaea''.

Species

*'' Danaea acuminata'' Tuomisto & R.C.Moran
*'' Danaea alata'' Sm.
*'' Danaea antillensis'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea atlantica'' Christenh., E.M.Almeida & L.P.Felix
*'' Danaea arbuscula'' Christenh. & Tuomisto
*'' Danaea bicolor'' Tuomisto & R.C.Moran
*'' Danaea bipinnata'' Tuomisto
*†'' Danaea borealis'' Pabst
*'' Danaea carillensis'' H.Christ
*'' Danaea cartilaginea'' Christenh. & Tuomisto
*'' Danaea chococola'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea crispa'' Endrés
*'' Danaea danaëpinna'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea draco'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea epiphytica'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea erecta'' Tuomisto & R.C.Moran
*'' Danaea excurrens'' Rosenst.
*'' Danaea falcata'' Tuomisto & R.C.Moran
*'' Danaea geniculata'' Raddi
*'' Danaea grandifolia'' Underw.
*'' Danaea humilis'' T.Moore
*'' Danaea imbricata'' Tuomisto & R.C.Moran
* ''Danaea'' × ''jamaicensis'' Underw. (''D. jenmanii'' × ''D. mazeana''))
*'' Danaea jenmanii'' Underw.
*'' Danaea kalevala'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea latipinna'' Tuomisto & R.C.Moran
*''Danaea leprieurii'' Kunze
*'' Danaea leussinkiana'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea lingua-cervina'' Christenh. & Tuomisto
*'' Danaea longicaudata'' Tuomisto
*'' Danaea mazeana'' Underw.
*'' Danaea media'' Liebmann
*'' Danaea moritziana'' C.Presl
*'' Danaea nodosa'' Sm.
*'' Danaea oblanceolata'' Stolze
* ''Danaea'' × ''plicata'' H.Christ (''D. carillensis × D. crispa'')
*'' Danaea polymorpha'' Lepr. ex Baker
*'' Danaea quebradensis'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea riparia'' Christenh. & Tuomisto
*'' Danaea sellowiana'' C.Presl
*'' Danaea simplicifolia'' Rudge
*'' Danaea tenera'' C.V.Morton
*'' Danaea trichomanoides'' Spruce ex T.Moore
*'' Danaea trifoliata'' Reichenb.
*'' Danaea trinitatensis'' Christenh. & Tuomisto
*'' Danaea ulei'' H.Christ
*'' Danaea urbanii'' Maxon
*'' Danaea ushana'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea vivax'' Christenh. & Tuomisto
*'' Danaea xenium'' Christenh. & Tuomisto
*'' Danaea ypori'' Christenh.
*'' Danaea wendlandii'' Reichenb.f.
*'' Danaea zamiopsis'' Christenh. & Tuomisto

References

* Christenhusz, M. J. M., Tuomisto, H. Metzgar, J. and Pryer, K. M., in press. Evolutionary relationships within the Neotropical, eusporangiate fern genus ''Danaea'' (Marattiaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (Elsevier).
* Christenhusz, M.J.M., Tuomisto, H. 2005. Some notes on the taxonomy, biogeography and ecology of ''Danaea'' (Marattiaceae). Fern Gazette 17 (5): 217–222.
* Christenhusz, M. J. M. 2006. Three new species of ''Danaea'' (Marattiaceae) from French Guiana and the Lesser Antilles. Annales Botanici Fennici 43: 212–219.
* Christenhusz, M. J. M., Tuomisto, H. 2006. Five new species of ''Danaea'' (Marattiaceae) from Peru and a new status for ''D. elliptica''. Kew Bulletin 61: 17–30.
* Christenhusz, M. J. M. 2010. ''Danaea'' (Marattiaceae) revisited: biodiversity, a new classification and ten new species of a neotropical fern genus. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 163: 360–385.
* Tuomisto, H., Moran, R. C. 2001. Marattiaceae. In: Harling, G., Anderson, L. (eds.), Flora of Ecuador 66: 22–170.
* Underwood, L.M. 1902. American Ferns - V, A Review of the Genus ''Danaea''. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 29(12): 669–679.

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5214890

Marattiidae
Fern genera