Plants terrestrial. Roots dark, fibrous, covered with dark, stiff hairs, 2–3 mm. Stems upright; hairs uniseriate. Leaves all fertile (even youngest), unbranched, long-petioled. Blades falsely digitate, reduced to 2–many erect to spreading terminal rays; rays appearing to be whorled but actually borne on very short rachis. Sporangia in 2–4 rows. Gametophytes subterranean, not green, tuberlike, brown-hairy. x = 134, 140.

Distribution

Nearly worldwide in tropical regions.

Discussion

Species 20 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

Wagner, W. H. Jr. and V. Quevedo. 1985. Polymorphism in Actinostachys pennula (Swartz) Hooker and the taxonomic status of A. germanii (Fée) Prantl. [Abstract.] Amer. J. Bot. 72: 927--928.

Lower Taxa

Actinostachys pennula