Exploring Polypodioid Ferns - A Taxonomic Perspective

The ferns constitute a remarkable group of plants that first appeared nearly 345 million years ago. Their megaphyllous leaf, associated with leaf-gap or pocket-parenchyma, and sporangia either at the margin or on the abaxial surface of the leaf, set them apart from other plants. These plants are found all over the world, from the sea-level to high mountains. There are altogether about 12000 species of ferns occurring throughout the World. They exhibit not only varied habitats, but also varied life-styles, and an amazing range of feathery to simple and delicate leaves. However, literature suggest that certain taxonomic problems still persist and it is perhaps worth the attempt to trace the history of classification and review the present state of some Polypodioid enigmatic fern genera. This work attempts to address three questions relating to the taxonomy of Polypodioid fern genera: A)Do the species included under Lepisorus merit separation from Pleopeltis? B)Is Weatherbya taxonomically distinct from Lemmaphyllum? C)Are Lemmaphyllum and Lepidogrammitis synonymous?