凤尾蕨组 feng wei jue zu

Thelypteris Adanson (Jul-Aug 1763), not Schmidel (18 Oct 1763, nom. cons.).

Plants small or medium-sized (0.05-1.5 m tall). Fronds often dimorphic or subdimorphic, pedate, digitate, or imparipinnate, seldom simple; pinnae or basal pinnae pair (sometimes few pairs) forked, never pectinate or pinnate; pinnae often narrowly linear or lanceolate, acuminate, with cartilaginous margins, sterile pinnae or sterile margins serrulate, seldom entire, costae or midveins adaxially erose; venation free. Sori linear, along segment margins, absent at apex and sinuses; indusia gray-brown or brown, linear, membranous, persistent.

Old World tropics and subtropics, Pacific islands; 35 species (20 endemic) in China.

Old World tropics and subtropics, Pacific islands; 35 species (20 endemic) in China.

It has not been possible to obtain a reliable estimate of the sizes of the sections within Pteris because there are no accounts consistent across the entire range.

Some species are calciphilous and can be found on limestone and walls.