Grammitis
Encyclopedia
Grammitis is a genus
of fern
s in the family
Polypodiaceae
. It had formerly been placed in the family Grammitidaceae, but this family is no longer recognized by most authors because phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence
s have shown that it is embedded
in Polypodiaceae.
The delimitation
of Grammitis was drastically narrowed in the first decade of the 21st century. It now contains about 25 species
. In 2003, a study of the distribution
of grammitid ferns placed 11 species in the New World
, 7 in Africa
, and 4 in the Pacific.
The genus Grammitis was established by Olof Swartz
around 1801. (sources vary on the exact date). The name
is derived from Greek
, gramma, grammatos meaning "a line or thread" and refers to the arrangement of the sori in some species. The type species
for Grammitis is Grammitis marginella.
The only known fossil
of a grammitid fern has been named Grammitis succinea, but it is not clear that it belongs to Grammitis as more recently defined. It was found in Oligocene
amber
from the Dominican Republic
.
of Grammitidaceae in 1990, Barbara S. Parris defined Grammitis broadly, to include about 400 species. At that time, she stated that "The treatment of Grammitis here as a large and diverse genus reflects our current lack of knowledge concerning relationships within the family". Other authors at that time circumscribed
Grammitis more narrowly, to include about 200 species.
Since about 2003, Grammitis has been understood as a genus of about 25 species with the other species to be eventually transferred to other genera, most of them new or resurrected. Grammitis sensu strictissimo (about 25 species) is distinguished by its black, sclerified leaf margins. It is sister to the monophyletic genus Cochlidium.
In 2004, Grammitis was shown to be polyphyletic if broadly circumscribed. Grammitis tenella had been shown to be closely related to Adenophorus
in 2003, and the new combination Adenophorus tenellus was published in 2008. Several species formerly in Grammitis have been transferred to Oreogrammitis. These include Oreogrammitis clemensiae, Oreogrammitis hookeri, and others. The genera Ctenopterella, Dasygrammitis, Radiogrammitis, Tomophyllum, and Xiphopterella were established in 2007 and some of these contain species that were formerly in Grammitis. Lellingeria tomensis was moved out of Grammitis to Lellingeria
in 2004. Transfers to other genera have also been made. The classification
of Grammitis basalis
, Grammitis recondita
, and others remains undecided.
. It was originally based on two very old sources.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Polypodiaceae
Polypodiaceae
Polypodiaceae is a family of polypod ferns, which includes more than 60 genera divided into several tribes and containing around 1,000 species. Nearly all are epiphytes, but some are terrestrial.-Description:...
. It had formerly been placed in the family Grammitidaceae, but this family is no longer recognized by most authors because phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
s have shown that it is embedded
Paraphyly
A group of taxa is said to be paraphyletic if the group consists of all the descendants of a hypothetical closest common ancestor minus one or more monophyletic groups of descendants...
in Polypodiaceae.
The delimitation
Circumscription (taxonomy)
In taxonomy, circumscription is the definition of the limits of a taxonomic group of organisms. One goal of taxonomy is to achieve a stable circumscription for every taxonomic group. Achieving stability can be simple or difficult....
of Grammitis was drastically narrowed in the first decade of the 21st century. It now contains about 25 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. In 2003, a study of the distribution
Range (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
of grammitid ferns placed 11 species in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, 7 in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and 4 in the Pacific.
The genus Grammitis was established by Olof Swartz
Olof Swartz
Olof Peter Swartz was a Swedish botanist and taxonomist. He is best known for his taxonomic work and studies into pteridophytes...
around 1801. (sources vary on the exact date). The name
Botanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
is derived from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, gramma, grammatos meaning "a line or thread" and refers to the arrangement of the sori in some species. The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
for Grammitis is Grammitis marginella.
The only known fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
of a grammitid fern has been named Grammitis succinea, but it is not clear that it belongs to Grammitis as more recently defined. It was found in Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
from the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
Circumscription
In a treatmentTreatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
of Grammitidaceae in 1990, Barbara S. Parris defined Grammitis broadly, to include about 400 species. At that time, she stated that "The treatment of Grammitis here as a large and diverse genus reflects our current lack of knowledge concerning relationships within the family". Other authors at that time circumscribed
Circumscription (taxonomy)
In taxonomy, circumscription is the definition of the limits of a taxonomic group of organisms. One goal of taxonomy is to achieve a stable circumscription for every taxonomic group. Achieving stability can be simple or difficult....
Grammitis more narrowly, to include about 200 species.
Since about 2003, Grammitis has been understood as a genus of about 25 species with the other species to be eventually transferred to other genera, most of them new or resurrected. Grammitis sensu strictissimo (about 25 species) is distinguished by its black, sclerified leaf margins. It is sister to the monophyletic genus Cochlidium.
In 2004, Grammitis was shown to be polyphyletic if broadly circumscribed. Grammitis tenella had been shown to be closely related to Adenophorus
Adenophorus
Adenophorus is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae. It is one of those formerly separated as the Grammitidaceae. There are ten species, all endemic to Hawaii.Species include:*Adenophorus abietinus*Adenophorus epigaeus...
in 2003, and the new combination Adenophorus tenellus was published in 2008. Several species formerly in Grammitis have been transferred to Oreogrammitis. These include Oreogrammitis clemensiae, Oreogrammitis hookeri, and others. The genera Ctenopterella, Dasygrammitis, Radiogrammitis, Tomophyllum, and Xiphopterella were established in 2007 and some of these contain species that were formerly in Grammitis. Lellingeria tomensis was moved out of Grammitis to Lellingeria
Lellingeria
Lellingeria is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae. It is one of the grammitids, a clade within Polypodiaceae that has not been ranked as a subfamily or tribe because the phylogeny of Polypodiaceae is not well understood....
in 2004. Transfers to other genera have also been made. The classification
Biological classification
Biological classification, or scientific classification in biology, is a method to group and categorize organisms by biological type, such as genus or species. Biological classification is part of scientific taxonomy....
of Grammitis basalis
Grammitis basalis
Grammitis basalis is a species of fern in the Polypodiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, Grammitis recondita
Grammitis recondita
Grammitis recondita is a species of fern in the Polypodiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, and others remains undecided.
Species
The species list is incomplete and may contain synonymsSynonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
. It was originally based on two very old sources.
- Grammitis basalisGrammitis basalisGrammitis basalis is a species of fern in the Polypodiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Grammitis billardiereiGrammitis billardiereiGrammitis billardierei, the Common Finger-fern or Strap Fern is a small fern growing in high rainfall areas of south east Australia and in New Zealand. A common plant, growing on branches, logs or on rocks in and near rainforest....
- Grammitis bryophila
- Grammitis fluminensis
- Grammitis kyimbilensis
- Grammitis leptopoda
- Grammitis limbata
- Grammitis marginella
- Grammitis marginelloides
- Grammitis melanoloma
- Grammitis microglossum
- Grammitis paramicola
- Grammitis poeppigiana
- Grammitis pseudomarginella
- Grammitis quaerenda
- Grammitis reconditaGrammitis reconditaGrammitis recondita is a species of fern in the Polypodiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Grammitis tagetiformis
- Grammitis vaupelii