Tectaria brauniana and T. nicotianifolia are unusual in their genus by having creeping rhizomes and two-ranked leaves. Tectaria brauniana is further unusual by having free veins. These rhizome characters of both species, and the free veins of T. brauniana, are typical of Triplophyllum and suggest a relationship to that genus instead of Tectaria. To determine the phylogenetic relationships of T. brauniana and T. nicotianifolia, we used molecular evidence from four plastid DNA markers (rbcL, rps4-trnS, trnG-trnR, and trnL-trnF) to generate a phylogenetic hypothesis for the Tectariaceae. The analysis included the tectarioid genera Arthropteris, Hypoderris, Psammiosorus, Pteridrys, Tectaria, and Triplophyllum. Tectaria brauniana and T. nicotianifolia were recovered as sister to Hypoderris brownii, and these three species were sister to Triplophyllum. These two clades were sister to the rest of Tectaria. Thus, to preserve the monophyly of Tectaria, T. brauniana and T. nicotianifolia are here classified in Hypoderris, a genus previously considered monotypic. We make the following new combination: H. nicotianifolia. In this expanded sense, Hypoderris is characterized by creeping rhizomes, two-ranked leaves, and spiny perispores. The genus occurs in the Caribbean region, Central America, and the Andes from northern Venezuela to Bolivia. A key and illustrations are given for the three species now recognized in Hypoderris.