Belongs within: Polypodiales.
The Grammitidaceae is a mostly epiphytic family of ferns. Many species are found in montane cloud forests.
Characters (from A. R. Smith): Plants perennial, mostly small, on rock or commonly epiphytic [rarely terrestrial]. Stems long- to short-creeping or suberect, usually unbranched, bearing scales [rarely scales absent], solenostelic (having phloem on both sides of xylem) to dictyostelic (having complex nets of xylem). Leaves erect, arching, or pendent, monomorphic [rarely with specialized fertile areas], less than 50 cm [rarely longer], usually scaleless throughout. Petioles often dark-colored and wiry, commonly terete, usually less than 2 mm diam., articulate or not articulate, with 1 or 2 vascular strands. Blades simple and entire to commonly pinnatifid or 1-pinnate, rarely 2-pinnate or more divided, glabrous or commonly bearing hairs, especially on petioles and rachises; hairs tan to dark reddish brown [or transparent], unicellular to multicellular; rachises often dark-colored, not grooved adaxially. Veins free [to anastomosing in simple patterns]; hydathodes present or absent, sometimes obscured by lime dots adaxially. Sori abaxial on veins, round to oblong [occasionally elongate]; paraphyses present or absent, these glandular or hairlike; sporangia with stalk of 1 row of cells; indusia absent. Spores greenish, tetrahedral-globose, trilete, surface commonly papillate. Gametophytes greenish, borne aboveground, ribbon-shaped, sometimes bearing multicellular gemmae.
<==Grammitidaceae |--MicropolypodiumP03 |--LomaphlebiaP03 |--LuismaP03 |--CeradeniaP03 |--EnterosoraP03 |--Melpomene flabelliformisP03 |--AcrosorusP03 |--CalymmodonP03 |--ChrysogrammitisP03 |--ThemeliumP03 |--AdenophorusP03 |--TerpsichoreP03 | |--T. elasticaP03 | `--T. kirkiiP03 |--Cochlidium [incl. Xiphopteris]P03 | |--‘Xiphopteris’ hieronymusiiP03 | |--C. serrulatum [=*Xiphopteris serrulata]P03 | `--‘Xiphopteris’ sikkimensis (Hieronymus) Copel. 1947 [=Polypodium sikkimense Hieronymus 1905]I88 |--LellingeriaP03 | |--L. oosoraP03 | |--L. saffordiiP03 | `--L. subcoriaceaP03 |--Prosaptia [incl. Ctenopteris]P03 | |--‘Ctenopteris’ blechnoidesP03 | |--‘Ctenopteris’ curtisiiP03 | |--‘Ctenopteris’ lasiostipesP03 | |--‘Ctenopteris’ mollicomaP03 | |--‘Ctenopteris’ nutansP03 | |--‘Ctenopteris’ repandulaP03 | |--‘Ctenopteris’ subfalcata (Blume) Kunze 1848 [=Polypodium subfalcatum Blume 1828]I88 | |--P. venulosa [=*Ctenopteris venulosa]P03 | `--‘Ctenopteris’ whartonianaP03 `--Grammitis Swartz 1801A61 [incl. Polypodium sect. Setigera Christ 1897W16] |--G. adspersaH03 |--G. apiculataJ87 |--G. billardieri Willdenow 1810A61 (see below for synonymy) | |--G. b. ssp. billardieriM03 | `--‘Polypodium australe’ ssp. nanumM03 |--G. ceratocarpaH03 |--G. ciliata Colenso 1846A61 (see below for synonymy) |--G. clemensiaeH03 |--G. collinaH03 |--G. crassa Fée 1850-1852 (see below for synonymy)A61 |--‘Polypodium’ crassum Kirk 1885 non Fée 1850-1852 (n. d.) [=P. crassium]A61 |--G. cretataJ87 |--G. cryptophlebiaP03 |--G. cultrataJ87 |--‘Polypodium’ diplosorum Christ 1896W16 |--G. firmaJ87 |--G. furcataJ87 |--G. giveniiW91 |--G. heterophylla Labill. 1806A61 (see below for synonymy) |--G. hirta [=Polypodium hirtum]W16 |--‘Polypodium’ hookeri Brackenridge 1854 [=P. setigerum Hook. & Arn. 1832 non Blume 1828]W16 |--‘Polypodium’ howeanum Watts 1916W16 |--G. lasiosoraH03 |--G. linearisBS-V28 |--G. marginellaJ87 |--G. mesocarpaH03 |--G. moniliformisJ87 |--G. muelleri [=Gymnogramme muelleri]B78 |--G. nimbataL03 |--G. oblanceolataH03 |--G. ornatissimumH03 |--G. padangenseH03 |--G. pendulaJ87 |--G. pervilleiP03 |--G. pinnata [=Dictyogramme pinnata, Gymnogramme pinnata; incl. Hemionitis elongata]B78 |--G. plerogrammoidesH03 |--G. poeppigiana [incl. G. armstrongii]H90 |--G. pseudaustralisH03 |--‘Polypodium’ pubinerveW16 |--‘Polypodium’ pulchellum Watts 1916W16 |--G. pumila Armstrong 1881A61 (see below for synonymy) |--G. reductaH03 |--G. reinwardtiiP03 [=Polypodium reinwardtiiW16] |--G. reynoldsii [=Grammitis reynoldsii]B78 |--G. rupestrisH03 |--G. salticolaH03 |--G. samoensisP03 |--G. scolopendrina Bory de Saint-Vincent 1828BS-V28 |--‘Polypodium’ setigerum Blume 1828W16 [incl. Grammitis fasciculataB78, P. setosumW16, G. setosaW16] |--G. stenophylla [incl. G. kairatuensis]P03 |--G. succineaP92 |--G. tomensisP03 `--G. universaP03
Grammitis billardieri Willdenow 1810A61 [=Polypodium billardieri (Willdenow) Christensen 1906 non Br. 1810A61; incl. G. australis Br. 1810A61, P. australe (Br.) Mett. 1857 (preoc.)A61, P. diminutumB78, Grammitis meridionalisH90]
Grammitis ciliata Colenso 1846A61 [incl. Polypodium (Grammitis) paradoxum Colenso 1882A61, G. australis var. villosa Hooker 1855A61, Polypodium australe var. villosum Hooker 1855C49]
Grammitis crassa Fée 1850-1852 [incl. G. humilis Hombron 1852, G. rigida Hombron 1852, Polypodium billardieri var. rigidum (Hombron) Ckn. 1909]A61
Grammitis heterophylla Labill. 1806A61 [=Ctenopteris heterophylla (Labill.) Tindale 1951A61, Xiphopteris heterophyllaB78; incl. Polypodium grammitidis Br. 1810A61, Ctenopteris grammitidis (Br.) Smith 1875A61]
Grammitis pumila Armstrong 1881A61 [=Polypodium australe var. pumilum Cheeseman 1906C49, Po. billardieri var. pumilum (Armstrong) Cheesem. 1906A61, Po. pumilum (Armstrong) Ckn. 1909A61]
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[A61] Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand vol. 1. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. R. E. Owen, Government Printer: Wellington (New Zealand).
[B78] Bentham, G. 1878. Flora Australiensis: A description of the plants of the Australian Territory vol. 7. Roxburghiaceae to Filices. L. Reeve & Co.: London.
[BS-V28] Bory de Saint-Vincent, J. B. 1828. Voyage Autour du Monde, Exécuté par Ordre du Roi, Sur la Corvette de Sa Majesté, La Coquille, pendant les années 1822, 1823, 1824 et 1825. Botanique. Cryptogamie. Arthus Bertrand: Paris.
[C49] Crookes, M. W. 1949. A revised and annotated list of New Zealand Filicinae. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 77 (2): 209–225.
[H90] Harden, G. J. (ed.) 1990. Flora of New South Wales vol. 1. New South Wales University Press.
[H03] Heads, M. 2003. Ericaceae in Malesia: vicariance biogeography, terrane tectonics and ecology. Telopea 10 (1): 311–449.
[I88] Iwatsuki, K. 1988. An enumeration of the pteridophytes of Nepal. In: Ohba, H., & S. B. Malla (eds) The Himalayan Plants vol. 1. The University Museum, University of Tokyo, Bulletin 31: 231–339.
[J87] Judd, W. S. 1987. Floristic study of Morne La Visite and Pic Macaya National Parks, Haiti. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum—Biological Sciences 32 (1): 1–136.
[L03] Lindsay, S. 2003. Considerations for a revision of the fern family Vittariaceae for Flora Malesiana. Telopea 10 (1): 99–112.
[M03] Macloskie, G. 1903. Pteridophyta, ferns and fernlike plants. In: Scott, W. B. (ed.) Reports of the Princeton University Expeditions to Patagonia, 1896–1899 vol. 8. Botany pp. 127–138. The University: Princeton (New Jersey).
[P03] Parris, B. S. 2003. The distribution of Grammitidaceae (Filicales) inside and outside Malesia. Telopea 10 (1): 451–466.
[P92] Poinar, G. O., Jr. 1992. Life in Amber. Stanford University Press: Stanford.
[W16] Watts, W. W. 1916. Two Lord Howe Island Polypodia. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 49 (3): 385–388.
[W91] Williams, P. A. 1991. Subalpine and alpine vegetation of granite ranges in western Nelson, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 29: 317–330.