Matoniaceae is one of the three families of ferns in the Gleicheniales order of the Polypodiopsida class.[1][2] Fossil records reveal that Matoniaceae ferns were abundant during the Mesozoic era (about 250-million to 66-million years ago), during which they lived on every continent, including Antarctica, with eight genera and 26 species, with the oldest known specimens being from the Middle Triassic of Antarctica.[3] Today the family is much less abundant, and also less diverse, with only two extant genera and four species,[4] which are limited to portions of southeastern Asia.[5]

Matoniaceae
Temporal range: Middle Triassic–Recent
Matonia pectinata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Gleicheniales
Family: Matoniaceae
C.Presl 1847
Genera

The following diagram shows a likely phylogenic relationship with the other two families of the Gleicheniales.[6]

Gleicheniales
Gleicheniaceae

 6 extant genera

Dipteridaceae

 2 extant genera

 Matoniaceae 

Extant taxa

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Mesozoic subtaxa

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Laccopteris elegans

Some common Mesozoic Matoniaceae genera and a sampling of their species include:

  • genus Laccopteris Presl 1838
    • species Laccopteris elegans Presl 1838
    • species Laccopteris münsteri Schenk 1867
  • genus Phlebopteris Brongniart 1828
    • species Phlebopteris polypodioides Brongniart
    • species Phlebopteris smithii
    • species Phlebopteris woodwardii Leckenby 1864
    • species Phlebopteris utensis
    • species Phlebopteris angustiloba
  • genus Matonidium
  • genus Matonia R.Br. ex Wall. 1829[7]
    • species Matonia jeffersonii
    • species Matonia pectinata
    • species Matonia braunii
    • species Matonia mesozoica
    • species Matonia brownii
  • genus Microdictyon
  • genus Weichselia Stiehler
  • Tomaniopteris Klavins et al. Fremouw Formation, Middle Triassic, Antarctica
  • Konijnenburgia Kvaček et Dašková, 2010 Piedra Clavada Formation, Argentina, Albian

References

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  1. ^ Alan R. Smith; Kathleen M. Pryer; Eric Schuettpelz; Petra Korall; Harald Schneider; Paul G. Wolf (2006). "A classification for extant ferns" (PDF). Taxon. 55 (3): 705–731. doi:10.2307/25065646. JSTOR 25065646. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-26.
  2. ^ Maarten J. M. Christenhusz, Xian-Chun Zhang & Harald Schneider (2011). "A linear sequence of extant families and genera of lycophytes and ferns" (PDF). Phytotaxa. 19: 7–54. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.19.1.2.
  3. ^ Klavins, Sharon D.; Taylor, Thomas N.; Taylor, Edith L. (January 2004). "Matoniaceous Ferns (Gleicheniales) from the Middle Triassic of Antarctica". Journal of Paleontology. 78 (1): 211–217. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2004)078<0211:MFGFTM>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0022-3360. S2CID 130165581.
  4. ^ Christenhusz, M. J. M. & Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3). Magnolia Press: 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.
  5. ^ Robbin C. Moran (2004). A Natural History of Ferns. Timber Press, Portland & Cambridge. pp. 119–124.
  6. ^ Samuli Lehtonen (2011). "Towards Resolving the Complete Fern Tree of Life" (PDF). PLOS ONE. 6 (10): e24851. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...624851L. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024851. PMC 3192703. PMID 22022365.
  7. ^ Nagalingum & Cantrill: Early Cretaceous Gleicheniaceae and Matoniaceae (Gleicheniales) from Alexander Island, Antarctica Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 138 (2006)