Marattiales

plant order

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July 19, 2026

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Marattiales is an order of lower ferns, and the Marattiaceae family is the only family within this order. These ferns are considered among the most primitive living fern families and are found in tropical and subtropical regions.12

Members of the Marattiaceae family are characterized by large, stout, erect stems and can have very large leaves, with some species reaching up to 9 meters in length. The genera within this family are primarily distinguished by the arrangement of their sporangia, which are spore-producing structures located on the underside of the leaves. The extinct fern genus Psaronius, dating back to the Carboniferous and Permian periods, is thought to be closely related to or a member of the Marattiaceae family.2

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Annotated classification
Marattiidae Order Marattiales (giant ferns) Family Marattiaceae Leaves pinnately divided, pulvinate (enlarged or swollen at attachment point of leaflets) in living genera, and with well-developed, fleshy stipules (appendages at leaf base); sporangia eusporangiate, in sori, or more or less coalescent in synangia (clusters); homosporous;
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Marattiidae Order Marattiales (giant ferns) Family Marattiaceae Leaves pinnately divided, pulvinate (enlarged or swollen at attachment point of leaflets) in living genera, and with well-developed, fleshy stipules (appendages at leaf base); sporangia eusporangiate, in sori, or more or less coalescent in synangia (clusters); homosporous;
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