Flora of New Zealand Series

SYNOPSIS OF PTERIDOPHYTA

• A. Class PSILOTOPSIDA. 
• • Sporophytes with dichotomous rhizomes and aerial branches, lacking roots, bearing scale-like or leaflike appendages which are either veinless or have a single unbranched vein. Sporangia thick-walled, apparently borne on upper surface of 2-fid scale-like or leaflike appendages (interpreted as terminating very short lateral branches).
  • 1. PSILOTALES. 
  • • Sporangia fused in groups of 2-3 to form a synangium; homosporous. Gametophytes subterranean, resembling rhizome of sporophytes.
  • PSILOTACEAE: 
  • • PsilotumTmesipteris
• B. Class LYCOPSIDA. 
• • Sporophytes with roots, stems and lvs. Stems usually dichotomously branched. Lvs (microphylls) simple, spirally arranged, each with a single unbranched vein. Sporangia thick-walled, borne singly on the adaxial surface of lf (sporophyll), or associated with one.
  • 2. LYCOPODIALES. 
  • • Sporophytes with primary growth only. Lvs lacking a ligule. Sporangia sometimes on undifferentiated sporophylls but usually in distinct strobili; homosporous. Gametophytes exosporic, subterranean or green and surface-living. Sperm biflagellate.
  • LYCOPODIACEAE: 
  • • LycopodiumPhylloglossum
  • 3. SELAGINELLALES. 
  • • Sporophytes with primary growth only. Lvs with ligules. Sporangia in distinct strobili; heterosporous. Gametophytes endosporic. Sperm biflagellate.
  • SELAGINELLACEAE: 
  • • Selaginella
  • 4. ISOETALES. 
  • • Sporophytes with corm-like stems producing secondary growth from an anomalous cambium. Lvs with ligules. Sporangia in swollen bases of sporophylls, not in distinct strobili; heterosporous. Gametophytes endosporic. Sperm multiflagellate.
  • ISOETACEAE: 
  • • Isoetes
• C. Class EQUISETOPSIDA. 
• • Sporophytes with roots, stems and lvs. Stems jointed, ribbed; branches in whorls at nodes. Lvs (microphylls) simple, united into whorls sheathing stem at nodes, each lf having a single unbranched vein. Sporangia thick-walled, borne on specialised stalks (sporangiophores).
  • 5. EQUISETALES. 
  • • Sporangiophores arranged in whorls into distinct strobili. Homosporous. Gametophytes exosporic, green and surface-living.
  • EQUISETACEAE: 
  • • Equisetum
• D. Class FILICOPSIDA. 
• • Sporophytes with roots, stems and lvs. Lvs (megaphylls) sometimes simple but usually compoundly divided (1-2-pinnate, or more divided), each with a branching vein system. Sporangia sometimes thick-walled but usually thin-walled, occasionally borne terminally on an axis but normally on margins or abaxial surfaces of the lvs (fronds).
  • 6. OPHIOGLOSSALES. 
  • • Frond divided into sterile lamina and a fertile spike of joined, or free, sporangia; vernation non-circinate. Sporangia eusporangiate, producing 1000s of spores; homosporous. Gametophyte exosporic, subterranean and tuberous.
  • OPHIOGLOSSACEAE: 
  • • BotrychiumOphioglossum
  • 7. MARATTIALES. 
  • • Fronds large, 1-3-pinnate, circinate in vernation. Sporangia grouped into sori or fused into synangia, on abaxial surfaces of fronds, lacking a protective indusium, eusporangiate, producing 1000s of spores; homosporous. Gametophyte exosporic, green and surface-living, thalloid.
  • MARATTIACEAE: 
  • • Marattia
  • 8. FILICALES. 
  • • Fronds simple or compoundly divided, circinate in vernation. Sporangia scattered or grouped into sori, on margins or abaxial surfaces of fronds, naked or protected by membranous indusium or reflexed lamina margin, leptosporangiate, producing relatively small numbers of spores (often 64-128); homosporous. Gametophyte usually exosporic, green and surface-living, thalloid or filamentous.
  • ASPLENIACEAE: 
  • • AspleniumPhyllitisPleurosorus
  • BLECHNACEAE: 
  • • BlechnumDoodia
  • CYATHEACEAE: 
  • • Cyathea
  • DAVALLIACEAE: 
  • • ArthropterisDavalliaNephrolepis
  • DENNSTAEDTIACEAE: 
  • • HistiopterisHypolepisLeptolepiaLindsaeaPaesiaPteridium
  • DICKSONIACEAE: 
  • • Dicksonia
  • DRYOPTERIDACEAE: 
  • • ArachniodesAthyriumCyrtomiumCystopterisDepariaDiplaziumDryopterisLastreopsisPolystichumRumohra
  • GLEICHENIACEAE: 
  • • DicranopterisGleicheniaSticherus
  • GRAMMITIDACEAE: 
  • • AnarthropterisCtenopterisGrammitis
  • HYMENOPHYLLACEAE: 
  • • HymenophyllumTrichomanes
  • LOXSOMATACEAE: 
  • • Loxsoma
  • OSMUNDACEAE: 
  • • LeptopterisOsmundaTodea
  • POLYPODACEAE: 
  • • PhymatosorusPolypodiumPyrrosia
  • PTERIDACEAE: 
  • • AdiantumAnogrammaCheilanthesPellaeaPteris
  • SCHIZAEACEAE: 
  • • LygodiumSchizaea
  • THELYPTERIDACEAE: 
  • • ChristellaCyclosorusMacrothelypterisPneumatopterisThelypteris
  • 9. MARSILEALES. 
  • • Lvs linear, or with 2 or 4 terminal obtriangular segments, circinate in vernation. Sporangia enclosed in hard sporocarps (modified laminae), aggregated into numerous sori, each containing both mega- and microsporangia, protected by indusia, leptosporangiate in origin but lacking an annulus; heterosporous, producing 1 megaspore per megasporangium and 32-64 microspores per microsporangium. Gametophytes endosporic.
  • MARSILEACEAE: 
  • • MarsileaPilularia
  • 10. SALVINIALES. 
  • • Aquatic plants with free-floating stems and small simple lvs. Sporangia aggregated into sori, each of which is enclosed by a sporocarp (modified indusium) and contains either mega- or microsporangia, leptosporangiate in origin, but lacking an annulus; heterosporous, producing 1 megaspore per megasporangium and a few microspores per microsporangium. Gametophytes endosporic.
  • SALVINIACEAE: 
  • • AzollaSalvinia

Brownsey, P. J., Given, D. R. and Lovis, J. D., New Zealand J. Bot. 23 : 431-489 (1985), have provided a revised classification and checklist for N.Z. pteridophytes which differs considerably in detail from the treatment by Allan (1961).