Danaea simplicifolia
Maarten ChristenhuszIntroduction
Danaea simplicifolia is one of the few species in Danaea that has simple leaves in adulthood. This retention of a juvenile character (neoteny) can also explain why sometimes the plants get a few extra pinna protruding from its single node. It has been suggested (Christenhusz, 2007; Christenhusz et al., 2008), that the once pinnate leaves of Danaea and Angiopteris (clades "Archangiopteris" and "Macroglossum") can also be explained by neoteny.
References
Christenhusz, M. J. M. (2007). Evolutionary History and Taxnomy of Neotropical Marattioid Ferns: Studies of an ancient lineage of plants. Annales Universitatis Turkuensis ser. AII, tom. 216, pp. 1-134.
Christenhusz, M. J. M., Tuomisto, H., Metzgar, J. S. and Pryer, K. M. (2008). Evolutionary relationships within the neotropical, eusporangiate fern genus Danaea (Marattiaceae). Molec. Phylog. Evol. 46, pp. 34-48.
About This Page
Maarten Christenhusz
The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Maarten Christenhusz at
Page copyright © 2009 Maarten Christenhusz
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- First online 23 January 2009
- Content changed 23 January 2009
Citing this page:
Christenhusz, Maarten. 2009. Danaea simplicifolia. Version 23 January 2009 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Danaea_simplicifolia/56837/2009.01.23 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/