Christensenia is a genus of ferns in the botanical family Marattiaceae. The genus is confined to the Indo-Malayan region. The basal chromosome number for this genus is 2n=80.
| Christensenia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Marattiales |
| Family: | Marattiaceae |
| Genus: | Christensenia Maxon |
| Type species | |
| Christensenia aesculifolia (Blume) Maxon
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Kaulfussia C.Presl | |
Christensenia is unique in the Marattiaceae, because of its reticulate venation, palmately arranged leaves and radial synangia. Christensenia produces enormous amounts of spores, up to 7,000 spores per sporangium. The presence of a radial synangium is an archaic character, very similar to some of the fossil Asterothecaceae/Psaroniaceae, such as Scolecopteris. Christensenia itself has no fossil record.
Species
editAfter the 1993 revision by Rolleri, only two species and one variety are recognized:
- Christensenia aesculifolia (Blume) Maxon (type species)
- Christensenia aesculifolia var. korthalsii
- Christensenia lobbiana (de Vriese) Rolleri
References
edit
- BRUMMITT, R. K. (1992) Vascular plant families and genera. Royal Botanic Gardens
- Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
- Rolleri, C. H. 1993. Revision of the genus Christensenia. Amer. Fern J. 83(1): 3–19.
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