Pteridales

The Pteridales are ferns that have their sori in linear strips under the edge of the leaf tissue, usually with the edge of the lamina reflexed over. This order is considered a family under the Smith classification. However, this group, a natural clade, is clearly the most basal offshoot of the entire polypodioid line, and if any portion of that clade is segregated as a separate order, this would be the obvious one. For this reason, and because this is a large and complex group, it is being considered an order for this page.

Pteridales

The Pteridales are ferns that have their sori in linear strips under the edge of the leaf tissue, usually with the edge of the lamina reflexed over. This order is considered a family under the Smith classification. However, this group, a natural clade, is clearly the most basal offshoot of the entire polypodioid line, and if any portion of that clade is segregated as a separate order, this would be the obvious one. For this reason, and because this is a large and complex group, it is being considered an order for this page.