'' Davallia'' (deersfoot fern, hare's foot fern, shinobu fern, rabbit foot fern, ball fern) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of about 40

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

. In the

Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus on the classification of pteridophytes (lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relation ...

classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is the only genus in the family Davalliaceae, which is placed in the suborder

Polypodiineae Polypodiineae is a suborder of ferns in the order Polypodiales. It is equivalent to the clade eupolypods I in earlier systems, and to the very broadly defined family Polypodiaceae in the classification of Christenhusz & Chase (2014). It probably ...

, order

Polypodiales The order Polypodiales encompasses the major lineages of polypod ferns, which comprise more than 80% of today's fern species. They are found in many parts of the world including tropical, semitropical and temperate areas. Description Polypodiale ...

. Alternatively, the family may be placed in a very broadly defined family

Polypodiaceae Polypodiaceae is a family of ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the family includes around 65 genera and an estimated 1,650 species and is placed in the order Polypodiales, suborder Polypodiineae. A broader ...

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'' as the subfamily Davallioideae. The family is

sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

to the largest family of ferns, Polypodiaceae, and shares some morphological characters with it.Karl U. Kramer. 1990. "Davalliaceae". pages 74-80. In: Klaus Kubitzki (general editor); Karl U. Kramer and Peter S. Green (volume editors) ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' volume I. Springer-Verlag: Berlin;Heidelberg, Germany. Species are

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

ferns, with fronds arising from long aerial

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s which grow on and over thick

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s or on rock crevices.

Description

Usually

or epipetric.

Rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s dictyostelic, dorsiventral, densely scaly. Stipes articulate at base. Phyllopodia short.

veins Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated b ...

free Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

Sporangium A sporangium (; from Late Latin, ) is an enclosure in which spores are formed. It can be composed of a single cell or can be multicellular. Virtually all plants, fungi, and many other lineages form sporangia at some point in their life cy ...

stalk 3-rowed.

Annulus Annulus (or anulus) or annular indicates a ring- or donut-shaped area or structure. It may refer to: Human anatomy * ''Anulus fibrosus disci intervertebralis'', spinal structure * Annulus of Zinn, a.k.a. annular tendon or ''anulus tendineus com ...

vertical.

Spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s monolete.

Taxonomy

Gymnogrammitis ''Gymnogrammitis'' is a genus of ferns in the subfamily Drynarioideae of the family Polypodiaceae according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), with a single species ''Gymnogrammitis dareiformis''. Taxonomy T ...

'' and ''

Leucostegia ''Leucostegia'' is a genus of ferns in the family Hypodematiaceae in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus o ...

'' were once included in Davalliaceae, but these are now known to belong elsewhere. ''Gymnogrammitis'' is in a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

with '' Selliguea'' and others in the family Polypodiaceae.Harald Schneider, Alan R. Smith, Raymond Cranfill, Christopher H. Haufler, Tom A. Ranker, and Terri J. Hildebrand. 2002. "''Gymnogrammitis dareiformis'' is a polygrammoid fern (Polypodiacee) - Resolving an apparent conflict between morphological and molecular data". ''Plant Systematics and Evolution'' 234(1-4):121-136. ''Leucostegia'' is in the family

Hypodematiaceae Hypodematiaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the family is placed in the suborder Polypodiineae. Alternatively, it may be treated as the subfamily Hypo ...

, which consists of ''

Hypodematium ''Hypodematium'' is a genus of ferns. Species *'' Hypodematium crenatum'' (Forssk.) Kuhn *'' Hypodematium daochengense'' K. H. Shing *'' Hypodematium fordii'' (Bak.) Ching *'' Hypodematium glabrius'' (Copel.) Holtt. *'' Hypodematium glabrum'' Ch ...

'' and ''Leucostegia'',Hong-Mei Liu, Xian-Chun Zhang, Wei Wang, Yin-Long Qiu, and Zhi-Duan Chen. 2007. "Molecular Phylogeny of the Fern Family Dryopteridaceae inferred from Chloroplast rbcL and atpB Genes". ''International Journal of Plant Sciences'' 168(9):1311-1323. and possibly ''

Didymochlaena ''Didymochlaena'' is a genus of fern with only one species, ''Didymochlaena truncatula'', also known under the synonym ''Didymochlaena sinuosa''. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is the only genus in the fami ...

'' as well. In 2008, a

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study Study or studies may refer to: General * Education **Higher education * Clinical trial * Experiment * Observational study * Research * Study skills, abilities and approaches applied to learning Other * Study (art), a drawing or series of drawi ...

of Davalliaceae showed that none of the polyspecific genera recognized at that time were

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

.Chie Tsutsumi, Xian-Chun Zhang, and Masahiro Kato. 2008. "Molecular Phylogeny of Davalliaceae and Implications for Generic Classification". ''Systematic Botany'' 33(1):44-48. In that same year, a revision of the family divided it into five genera. One of these, ''Araiostegiella'', was newly described. The genus ''Davallia'' was divided into two

sections Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

, named ''Davallia'' and ''Trogostolon''. Based on

studies, the

classification of 2016 (PPG I) accepts only one genus in the family, ''Davallia'', sinking the other genera into synonymy. The study on which the PPG I circumscription is based divides the genus into seven sections.

Phylogeny

The following cladogram for the suborder

(eupolypods I), based on the consensus cladogram in the

classification of 2016 (PPG I), shows a likely

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

relationship between Davalliaceae and the other families of the clade.

Selected species

Many of the species of ''Davallia'' are closely

related ''Related'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on The WB from October 5, 2005, to March 20, 2006. It revolves around the lives of four close-knit sisters of Italian descent, raised in Brooklyn and living in Manhattan. The ...

and hard to distinguish from each other. In 1990, a treatment of Davalliaceae estimated the number of species at 110. A 2008

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...

listed all of the species, recognizing only 63.Masahiro Kato and Chie Tsutsumi. 2008. "Generic Classification of Davalliaceae". ''Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica'' 59(1):1-14. A new species, '' Davallia napoensis'' was described in 2011.Fa-Guo Wang, Hong-Feng Chen, and Fu-Wu Xing. 2011. "''Davallia napoensis'', a New Species of Davalliaceae from Guangxi, China". ''Novon'' 21(3):380-384. The

classification of 2016 (PPG I) suggests there are about 65 species. * '' Davallia bullata'' -

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, and tropical

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. * ''

Davallia canariensis ''Davallia canariensis'', the hare's-foot fern, is a species of fern in the family Davalliaceae. It is endemic to Macaronesia and the Iberian Peninsula. It grows well in a sunny atmosphere and amongst rocks. Description ''Davallia canariensis'' ...

'' - Macaronesia,

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

and

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

. * ''

Davallia denticulata ''Davallia denticulata'' is a widespread species of fern. Often seen as a lithophyte or epiphyte in different forest types. It may lose all its fronds in dry periods. References External links ''Davallia denticulata''at Tropicos Tropico ...

'' - Africa, India, China, Malesia, Indonesia, Polynesia, Australia * '' Davallia divaricata'' (

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

: ''Davallia polyantha'') - Tropical

. * ''

Davallia embolostegia '' Davallia'' (deersfoot fern, hare's foot fern, shinobu fern, rabbit foot fern, ball fern) is a genus of about 40 species of fern. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is the only genus in the family Davalli ...

'' * '' Davallia fejeensis'' Hook (

: ''Davallia fijiensis'') -

Fiji Islands Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. * '' Davallia mariesii'' or "Squirrel's-foot fern" – tropical Asia and Malaysia * '' Davallia pectinata'' * '' Davallia repens'' * '' Davallia solida'' -

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

, and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. ** ''

Davallia solida var. pyxidata ''Davallia solida'' var. ''pyxidata'' known as the hare's foot fern, is a variety of fern that occurs in eastern Australia and is usually identified as a lithophyte or epiphyte in or near rainforest areas. However, it may also be seen in a few lo ...

'' -

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

** ''Davallia solida'' var. ''fejeensis'' (Hook.) Noot. - endemic to

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

* ''

Davallia tasmanii ''Davallia tasmanii'' is a fern in the family Davalliaceae found mainly in New Zealand (Three Kings Islands) and Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption ...

'' - Davallia fern, native to the

Three Kings Islands 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 n ...

. * ''

Davallia trichomanoides ''Davallia trichomanoides'', also known as black rabbit's foot fern, is a fern in the family Davalliaceae '' Davallia'' (deersfoot fern, hare's foot fern, shinobu fern, rabbit foot fern, ball fern) is a genus of about 40 species of fern. I ...

'' (

: ''Davallia dissecta'') - Malaysia.

Distribution and habitat

Davalliaceae is

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

regions of the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

.Alan R. Smith, Kathleen M. Pryer, Eric Schuettpelz, Petra Korall, Harald Schneider, and Paul G. Wolf. 2008. "Davalliaceae". pages 443-444. In: "Fern Classification". pages 417-467. In: Tom A. Ranker and Christopher H. Haufler (editors). ''Biology and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes''. Cambridge University Press. Plants are usually

, sometimes

lithophytic Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

''Davallia'' as house plants

Many species of ''Davallia'' are in cultivation, Anthony Huxley, Mark Griffiths, and Margot Levy (1992). ''The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening''. The Macmillan Press,Limited: London. The Stockton Press: New York. (set). with ''

Davallia tyermanii '' Davallia'' (deersfoot fern, hare's foot fern, shinobu fern, rabbit foot fern, ball fern) is a genus of about 40 species of fern. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is the only genus in the family Davalli ...

'', '' Davallia fejeensis'', and '' Davallia solida'' being perhaps the most well-known.George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst. 2005. "A Tropical Garden Flora" Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu, HI, USA. A

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

to the cultivated species of ''Davallia'' is available.Barbara Joe Hoshizaki. 1981. "The fern genus ''Davallia'' in cultivation". ''Baileya'' 21(1):1-42. ''D. polypodiaceae'', ''D. canariensis'' and ''D. trichomanoides'' are also grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

s.Perry, Leonard, ''Davillia'', http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/ferndav.html ''D. fejeensis'' is the most common ''Davallia'' species in commerce, and ''D. canariensis'' is widely grown as a house plant. The plants have furry rhizomes which cover the surface of the potting mixture as well as root down into it. The fronds are triangular in shape and about 1½ feet long by 1 foot wide. They divide into three to four

pinnae The auricle or auricula is the visible part of the ear that is outside the head. It is also called the pinna (Latin for "wing" or "fin", plural pinnae), a term that is used more in zoology. Structure The diagram shows the shape and location of ...

which subdivide into many pinnules. ''Davallia'' are often used in hanging baskets because the rhizomes split into sections and the surface is covered quickly. Unlike other ferns, ''Davallia'' tolerate low levels of humidity.Reader's Digest. Success with House Plants. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. 1979:173

References

*Lorenzi, H. & Souza, M. S. (2001). ''Plantas Ornamentais no Brasil: arbustivas, herbáceas e trepadeiras.'
Plantarum
*Key, K. & Baines, J. (1974). ''El ABC de las Plantas de Interior.'' Blume *Hay, R., McQuown G., & Beckett, K. (1976). ''Diccionario ilustrado en color de plantas de interior.'' Gustavo Gili *Hellyer, A. (1976). ''The Collingridge Encyclopedia of Gardening.'' Hamlyn *Bornhorst, Heidi. ''Davallia fern has many names, various uses.'' Honolulu Advertiser, November 11, 2001

(accessed October 8, 2015)

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2390278 Davalliaceae Epiphytes Fern genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus