Plants terrestrial or on rock, not forming colonies. Stems creeping on substrate surface, mostly short; hairs brown, jointed (grading into long, narrow scales with uniseriate tip), not clathrate. Leaves closely spaced to quite distant, erect to arching, narrowly oblong [triangular, ovate, to irregularly shaped], 10–50 cm [to 6 m]. Petiole glabrous or with a few basal scales, stem buds absent, vascular bundles 1. Blade 3–4-pinnate [2–5-pinnate, sometimes scandent or climbing], ± glabrous [some species with spines on petiole, midrib, or costae]; rachises without prickles; nectaries absent. Segments nearly dichotomously divided; ultimate segments linear to cuneate, margins entire or bifid. Veins free, simple or forked. Sori terminal near blade margin on single vein or on commissure joining 2–8 veins, ± spheric to transversely elongate, indusia attached at base and sides, opening toward margin. Spores tetrahedral to nearly globose, or oblong, trilete or monolete, smooth or granulate. x = 38, 47.

Distribution

Mostly tropical.

Discussion

Species 22 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

Kramer, K. U. 1957. A revision of the genus Lindsaea in the New World with notes on allied genera. Acta Bot. Neerl. 6: 97--290.

Lower Taxa

Odontosoria clavata