''Mycopteris'' 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 ...

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

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 ...

, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to 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 known from the American tropics.

Description

Most members of the genus are epiphytes, although some grow on soil or on rocks.

Taxonomy

The genus was first described by Michael Sundue in 2014 to receive some of the species of the genus '' Terpsichore''. When that genus was described by Alan R. Smith in 1993, he divided it into five informal groups. Subsequent morphological and molecular studies showed that ''Terpsichore'' was polyphyletic, but its groups were largely

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 ...

and could furnish the basis of new genera. These genera were described over the next several years; Sundue's new genus ''Mycopteris'', encompassing the ''T. taxifolia'' group, was the last group to be removed from ''Terpsichore sensu lato''. The name "''Mycopteris''" is derived from the Greek roots ''myco''-, "fungus", and ''-pteris'', "fern", referring to the near-universal association of these ferns with the

ascomycete Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defi ...

fungus '' Acrospermum''. Sundue initially placed seventeen species in the genus, one of which was newly described and another elevated from a variety. He suggested that another five to ten species might be described after the completion of a monograph on the genus. In 2017, he described a new species, '' Mycopteris martiniana'', from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Species

, the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' accepted the following species: *'' Mycopteris alsopteris'' ( C.V.Morton) Sundue *'' Mycopteris amphidasyon'' (

Mett. Georg Heinrich Mettenius (24 November 1823 – 18 August 1866) was a German botanist born in Frankfurt am Main. He was son-in-law to botanist Alexander Braun (1805–1877). In 1845 he received his medical doctorate from the University of Heidelbe ...

) Sundue *'' Mycopteris attenuatissima'' (

Copel. Edwin Bingham Copeland (September 30, 1873 – March 16, 1964) was an American botanist and agriculturist. He is known for founding the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna and for being one of the America's l ...

) Sundue *'' Mycopteris costaricensis'' (Rosenst.) Sundue *''

Mycopteris cretata ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' ( Maxon) Sundue *''

Mycopteris grata ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' ( Fée) Sundue *''

Mycopteris leucolepis ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South ...

) Sundue *''

Mycopteris leucosticta ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' (

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 ...

) Sundue *'' Mycopteris longicaulis'' (Sundue & M.Kessler) Sundue *'' Mycopteris longipilosa'' Sundue *'' Mycopteris martiniana'' Sundue *'' Mycopteris pirrensis'' (A.R.Sm.) Sundue *'' Mycopteris praeceps'' (Sundue & M.Kessler) Sundue *'' Mycopteris semihirsuta'' (

Klotzsch Johann Friedrich Klotzsch (9 June 1805 – 5 November 1860) was a German pharmacist and botanist. His principal work was in the field of mycology, with the study and description of many species of mushroom. Klotzsch was born in Wittenberg. Origin ...

) Sundue *'' Mycopteris steyermarkii'' (Labiak) Sundue *'' Mycopteris subtilis'' (Kunze ex Klotzsch) Sundue *''

Mycopteris taxifolia ''Mycopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). It is known from the American tropics. Description Most members of the ...

'' ( L.) Sundue *'' Mycopteris zeledoniana'' ( Lellinger) Sundue

Distribution

Members of the genus are found from Mexico east into the East Indies and south to Bolivia.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q30110755 Polypodiaceae Fern genera