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1 April 2011 New and Improved Leaf Terminology for Gleicheniaceae
Shane W. Shaw, Tom A. Ranker
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Abstract

The majority of ferns have determinate leaf ontogeny, which makes them suitable for a hierarchal system of leaf terminology to describe dissection and gross morphology. Gleicheniaceae are distinct among fern families because nearly all species have indeterminate and pseudodichotomously forking leaves. Given these two characteristics, the hierarchal system of leaf terminology is inappropriate and cumbersome to use. Therefore, Holttum (1957), Tryon and Tryon (1982), Andersen and Øllgaard (1996), and Lellinger (2002), among others, developed specialized leaf terminology to describe the morphology of Gleicheniaceae leaves. Although each system is sufficient, comparisons among the different systems are cumbersome and confusing. To reduce confusion and simplify, we propose a new leaf terminology system that: 1) is universal to all taxa in Gleicheniaceae, 2) is more useful to apply to partial-leaf herbarium specimens, and 3) clarifies the ambiguity of having multiple leaf terminology systems.

Shane W. Shaw and Tom A. Ranker "New and Improved Leaf Terminology for Gleicheniaceae," American Fern Journal 101(2), 117-124, (1 April 2011). https://doi.org/10.1640/0002-8444-101.2.117
Published: 1 April 2011
KEYWORDS
Dicranopteris
Diplopterygium
fern
frond terminology
Gleichenella
Gleichenia
Gleicheniaceae
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