Taxon	Illustrator ⠉
	Polystichum lonchitis Phanerophlebia auriculata Ctenitis sloanei Ctenitis submarginalis Cyrtomium falcatum	John Myers John Myers John Myers John Myers John Myers

Plants generally terrestrial. Stems erect to obliquely ascending, stolons absent. Leaves monomorphic, evergreen or dying back in winter. Petiole 2/3 to equaling length of blade, base not swollen; vascular-bundles more than 3, arranged in an arc, ± round in cross-section. Blade lanceolate to deltate, 1–4-pinnate-pinnatifid, gradually reduced distally to confluent, pinnatifid apex, herbaceous. Pinnae not articulate to rachis, segment margins nearly entire to crenulate, ciliate; proximal pinnae not reduced, sometimes basal pair much the longest, sessile to petiolulate, equilateral or inequilateral with basiscopic side more developed (pinnules noticeably longer); costae adaxially rounded or flat, not grooved; indument of linear to lanceolate scales and often multicellular glandular-hairs abaxially, of multicellular reddish hairs adaxially. Veins free, simple or forked. Sori in 1 row between midrib and margin, round; indusia round-reniform, attached at narrow sinus, sometimes small or seemingly absent, persistent or caducous. Spores brownish, usually spiny, sometimes prominently cristate, rarely finely reticulate. x = 41.

Distribution

Nearly worldwide in the tropics

Discussion

Species ca. 100 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Ctenitis sloanei, Ctenitis submarginalis

Key

1	Blades ovate-lanceolate, 2-4-pinnate-pinnatifid; basal pinnae inequilateral, elongate basiscopically.	Ctenitis sloanei
1	Blades oblong or narrowly lanceolate, 1-pinnate-pinnatifid; basal pinnae equilateral.	Ctenitis submarginalis

"equaling" is not a number."longest" is not a number.