Cheiropleuria bicuspis

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June 24, 2026

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Cheiropleuria bicuspis is the sole extant species within the genus Cheiropleuria, which belongs to the family Dipteridaceae, also known as the umbrella fern family. This fern family has a significant fossil record dating back to the Triassic Period.1

C. bicuspis is found in East Asia, including Japan, and extends to Malesia. A distinctive characteristic of this fern is its dimorphic leaves. The fertile leaves are long and narrow with sporangia covering the underside, while the vegetative leaves are broader and often notched or lobed at the tip. The spores of C. bicuspis are generally globose.1

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Dipteridaceae
…extant species in Cheiropleuria is C. bicuspis, which is distributed from East Asia (including Japan) to Malesia (see Malesian subkingdom). Its leaves are dimorphic; that is, the fertile leaves have a long narrow entire lamina with the undersurface entirely covered with sporangia, but the vegetative leaves have a much broader…
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…extant species in Cheiropleuria is C. bicuspis, which is distributed from East Asia (including Japan) to Malesia (see Malesian subkingdom). Its leaves are dimorphic; that is, the fertile leaves have a long narrow entire lamina with the undersurface entirely covered with sporangia, but the vegetative leaves have a much broader…
Read More