Dryopteris subg. Ctenitis C. Christensen, Biol. Arbejder Tilegnede. Eug. Warming, 77. 1911; Ataxipteris Holttum.

Plants terrestrial, 10-140 cm tall. Rhizome short, erect to ascending, densely scaly at apex and at stipe bases. Fronds clustered; stipe dark brown to stramineous, scaly throughout; scales of two different types: (1) lanceolate, membranous, appressed, and iridescent scales, and (2) subulate, stiff, spreading scales without obvious iridescence. Lamina oblong-lanceolate to ovate-triangular, broadest at base, 1-4-pinnate; basal pair of pinnae always largest, triangular or broadly lanceolate, basal basiscopic pinnules of basal pinnae usually much enlarged; distal pinnae or pinnules ± adnate to rachis or costae and ± decurrent at their bases; veins all free, veinlets on ultimate pinnules or lobes simple or (rarely) bifurcate to pinnate; lamina texture herbaceous or papery, rarely leathery, with ctenitoid hairs on adaxial surface and short glandular hairs on abaxial surface, or rarely glabrous; costae of pinnules prominent, always covered with ctenitoid (multicellular) hairs. Sori medial or rarely submarginal; indusia present or not, sometimes very small and hidden by maturing sporangia. Perispore echinate, coarsely folded, or tuberculate. x = 41.

About 100-150 species: tropics and subtropics of America, Africa, Asia, and Australia; ten species (four endemic) in China.

(Authors: Dong Shiyong (董仕勇); Maarten J. M. Christenhusz)