Christensenia is a genus of ferns in the botanical family Marattiaceae. The genus is confined to the Indo-Malayan region. The basal chromosome number for this genus is 2n=80.

Christensenia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Marattiales
Family: Marattiaceae
Genus: Christensenia
Maxon
Type species
Christensenia aesculifolia
(Blume) Maxon
Synonyms

Kaulfussia C.Presl

Christensenia is unique in the Marattiaceae, because of its reticulate venation, palmately arranged leaves and radial synangia. Christensenia produces enormous amounts of spores, up to 7,000 spores per sporangium. The presence of a radial synangium is an archaic character, very similar to some of the fossil Asterothecaceae/Psaroniaceae, such as Scolecopteris. Christensenia itself has no fossil record.

Species

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After the 1993 revision by Rolleri, only two species and one variety are recognized:

References

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  • BRUMMITT, R. K. (1992) Vascular plant families and genera. Royal Botanic Gardens
  • Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
  • Rolleri, C. H. 1993. Revision of the genus Christensenia. Amer. Fern J. 83(1): 3–19.