Ceratopteris

Brongniart

Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris sér. 3, 8: 186. 1821.

Common names: Antler ferns water ferns floating ferns
Etymology: Greek cerato, horned, and pteris, fern, referring to the antlerlike fertile leaf
Basionym: Parkeria Hooker Exot. Fl. 2: plate 147. 1825
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Plants 2–120 cm. Stems 1–10 mm diam., sparsely scaly. Leaves erect. Proximal leaves broad, simple and lobed to 4-pinnate, glabrous; distal leaves finely dissected with linear ultimate segments. Sporangia nearly sessile, usually densely packed, globose. Spores tetrahedral.

Distribution

Tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions worldwide.

Discussion

Species 3–4 (3 in the flora).

Key

1 Sterile leaves simple, palmately or pinnately lobed, sometimes 2–4-pinnate, deltate to cordate to ovate; proximal pinnae or veins of lobes usually opposite; petioles frequently inflated. Fertile leaves usually deltate to cordate to reniform; sporangia lacking annulus or annulus well developed, indurate cells 0–10(–40). Ceratopteris pteridoides
1 Sterile leaves (1–)2–3-pinnate, lanceolate, lance-ovate, ovate to deltate; proximal pinnae usually alternate; petioles usually not inflated. Fertile leaves lanceolate, sometimes ovate, deltate, or cordate; sporangia with well-developed annulus, indurate cells 13–71. > 2
2 Sporangia with 32 spores. Ceratopteris thalictroides
2 Sporangia with 16 spores. Ceratopteris richardii
... more about "Ceratopteris"
Robert M. Lloyd +
Brongniart +
Parkeria +
Antler ferns +, water ferns +  and floating ferns +
Tropical +, subtropical +  and and warm temperate regions worldwide. +
Greek cerato, horned, and pteris, fern, referring to the antlerlike fertile leaf +
Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris +
devol1957a +, hickok1974a +  and hickok1977a +
Ceratopteris +
Parkeriaceae +