''Eupodium'' is a genus of

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 ...

s in the family Marattiaceae native to the Neotropics. Traditionally, many taxonomists have included ''Eupodium'' within the genus ''

Marattia ''Marattia'' is a small genus of primitive, large, fleshy eusporangiate ferns. It is the type genus of the family Marattiaceae, order Marattiales and class Marattiopsida. Formerly considered to be a much larger genus, genetic analysis has shown ...

'' (along with ''

Ptisana Sori of ''Ptisana fraxinea'' ''Ptisana'' is a genus in the eusporangiate fern family Marattiaceae, comprising species historically treated in the genus '' Marattia''. The establishment of this genus follows the 2008 work by Andrew G. Murdock, wh ...

''). However, molecular phylogenetic studies and morphological studies of extant and fossil taxa support the recognition of ''Eupodium'' as a lineage distinct from ''Marattia''. Morphologically, ''Eupodium'' was thought to be distinct among the Marattiaceae in only having one frond at a time (occasionally two), bearing awns along veins, and having stalked synangia (clusters of sporangia that have become fused in development). However, recent phylogenetic work found that an additional species native to Brazil, '' Eupodium cicutifolium'', which lacks these characters, is also genetically in ''Eupodium'', making the genus challenging to distinguish morphologically. ''Eupodium cicutifolium'' does occasionally have short-stalked synangia, and has spinulose spores like the other ''Eupodium'' species, but is otherwise easily mistaken for a ''Marattia'' or ''

''. The genus currently has four recognized species. The basal chromosome number for this genus is unknown. The type species is '' Eupodium kaulfussii''.

Species

The genus includes the following species: * '' Eupodium cicutifolium'' (

Kaulf. Georg Friedrich Kaulfuss (8 April 1786 – 9 December 1830) was a professor at Halle. He described the pteridophytes collected by Adelbert von Chamisso, and he named the fern ''Cibotium chamissoi'' after him. The genus ''Kaulfussia'' is name ...

) Lehtonen (Brazil, northern Argentina) * '' Eupodium kaulfussii'' (

J.Sm. John Smith (1798–1888) was a British botanist who was the first curator at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Kew Gardens), starting in 1841. He had first been employed at the gardens as a stove boy (stoking stoves to warm ...

) J.Sm. (Brazil) * '' Eupodium laeve'' (

Sm. __NOTOC__ Sir James Edward Smith (2 December 1759 – 17 March 1828) was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society. Early life and education Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a ...

) Murdock (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico) * '' Eupodium pittieri'' ( Maxon) Christenh. (Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Trinidad)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5410872 Marattiidae Fern genera