Plants terrestrial, often forming colonies. Stems subterranean, long-creeping; hairs reddish. Leaves scattered, arching, deltate, 45–160 cm [to 7 m]. Petiole glabrescent or pubescent, often with prickles, sometimes with stem buds near base; vascular bundles more than 3, forming O-shaped pattern in cross section. Blade 1–4-pinnate; rachises with prickles; nectaries absent. Segments pinnatifid, ultimate segments oblong, margins lobed. Veins free, simple or pinnately branched. Sori ± marginal at vein tips, discrete, mostly round, protected by revolute blade tooth, rarely inframarginal and unprotected. Spores ellipsoid, monolete, tuberculate or papillate. x = 26, 29.

Distribution

Worldwide in tropical regions.

Discussion

Species ca. 45 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

Brownsey, P. J. 1983. Polyploidy and aneuploidy in Hypolepis and the evolution of the Dennstaedtiales. Amer. Fern J. 73: 97--108.

Lower Taxa

Hypolepis repens