Family 37. Rhachidosoraceae X.C.Zhang, fam. nov.

Based on a full and direct reference to the Latin description associated with Athyriaceae subfam. Rhachidosoroideae M.L.Wang & Y.T.Hsieh, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 42: 527 (2004).

1 genus. ( Rhachidosorus Ching, type of the family).

Description:—Medium to large ferns in forest often at rocky (limestone) places. Rhizomes thick, erect to decumbent, apeices and bases of stipes densely covered in scales; laminae 2 – 3-pinnate, deltoid to ovatedeltoid; sori linear, falcate, touching midveins at proximal ends, subparallel to midveins; indusia more or less thick, entire, on acroscopic side of lateral veinlets, asplenioid, spores with tuberculate folds. X=40.

A genus with ca. 7 species, distributed in east and southeast Asia, from Japan to Sumatra and the Philippines. Rhachidosorus was not included in Schuettpelz & Pryer (2007) and the results of Wang et al. (2003, 2004) were not accepted by Smith et al. (2006a, 2008).