Vittariaceae
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Shoestring fern family
Vittariaceae
シシラン科
Ferns characterized by elongated, strap-shaped simple fronds and sori arranged in grooves near the frond margins. Epiphytic on tree trunks and rocks in tropical to subtropical regions. In Japan, Vittaria species occur in the Nansei Islands and southern Kyushu.
Key Characteristics
- ●Simple fronds, strap-shaped to linear (elongated)
- ●Sori arranged in grooves (commissures) along the frond margins
- ●Indusia absent
- ●Epiphytic (on tree trunks and rock faces)
Phylogenetic Position
Vascular plants > Polypodiophyta > Polypodiopsida > Polypodiales > Vittariaceae
Divergence Era
Cretaceous to Paleogene (ca. 80 million years ago–)
Representative Genera
シシラン属（Vittaria）アンタロフィス属（Antrophyum）
Related Evolution Events
- ・Extreme simplification of fronds into strap-shaped simple leaves
- ・Specialization for epiphytic life and range expansion through asexual reproduction of gametophytes
Plants in Shoestring fern family on this site
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