DOI: 10.5061/dryad.sk7q8
title: Data from: Phylogeny of the polybotryoid fern clade (Dryopteridaceae)

description: Premise of research. The polybotryoid fern clade is completely Neotropical
 and consists of Cyclodium, Maxonia, Olfersia, Polybotrya, and
 Polystichopsis. It has never received a detailed phylogenetic analysis. We
 performed such an analysis to examine the relationships among species and
 genera and to map the evolution of their morphological and anatomical
 characters.Methodology. Our study included 46 (77%) of the 60 species in
 the clade. It also included 37 outgroup species from 19 genera. We
 sequenced four plastid DNA markers (rbcL, rps4-trnS, trnG-trnR, and
 trnL-trnF) and analyzed the data with maximum likelihood and Bayesian
 inference. One anatomical and 11 morphological characters were mapped on
 the resulting phylogenetic trees using the criterion of maximum
 parsimony.Pivotal results. The polybotryoid clade was strongly supported
 as monophyletic, as were its component genera. Nearly all its species have
 long-creeping rhizomes. Polystichopsis was resolved sister to the other
 polybotryoid genera. Its monophyly is supported by the morphological
 synapomorphies of distichous phyllotaxy, long straightish white hairs on
 the leaves, and tuberculate perines. Two species currently classified in
 Arachniodes (Arachniodes macrostegia and Arachniodes ochropteroides) form
 a clade with Olfersia. No known morphological characters support this
 clade. Olfersia, however, is highly distinct from all other polybotryoids
 by the combination of its imparipinnate laminae, submarginal connecting
 vein, strong sterile-fertile leaf dimorphy, loss of indusia, and evolution
 of acrostichoid sori. Maxonia is defined by its terrestrial root-climbing
 habit and dimorphic sterile and fertile leaves. Cyclodium and Polybotrya
 were resolved as sister. The presence of peltate indusia is synapomorphic
 for Cyclodium. Polybotrya is defined by several morphological
 synapomorphies: a rhizome anatomy unique among dryopteroid ferns (each
 individual meristele is surrounded by a dark sclerenchymatous sheath),
 strong sterile-fertile dimorphy, and loss of indusia. A possible
 synapomorphy for Polybotrya is the terrestrial root-climbing habit. Within
 Polybotrya, anastomosing veins and round discrete sori have evolved more
 than once.Conclusions. This is the first phylogenetic analysis of the
 polybotryoid ferns. The clade was resolved as monophyletic, as were its
 genera. An unexpected result was that two species currently classified in
 Arachniodes (A. macrostegia and A. ochropteroides) were resolved sister to
 Olfersia. Most of the main clades of polybotryoids were supported by
 morphological and/or anatomical characters.
description: Polystichopsis
 chaerophylloidesSEM spore photo of
 Polystichopsis chaerophylloides. Fig. 5A in published article, showing
 spore from Puerto Rico, Britton & Marble 1082, NY; scale bar = 10
 micrometers.polystichopsis_chaerophylloides_232b_Britton & Marble 1082 ( NY)_Puerto rico.jpgArachniodes ochropteroidesSEM spore photo of Arachniodes ochropteroides. Fig. 5B in published article. voucher: Suriname, T. Hawkins 1906 ( NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.arachnoides_ochropteroides_112_T. Hawkins 1906 ( NY)_Suriname.jpgOlfersia alataSEM spore photo of Olfersia alata. Fig. 5C in published article. voucher: Cuba, Wright 784 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.olfersia_alata_118b_Wright 784 ( NY).jpgMaxonia apiifoliaSEM spore photo of Maxonia apiifolia. Fig. 5D in published article. Voucher: Jamaica, Maxon 2822 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Maxonia6_Jamaica_Maxon 2822 ( NY).jpgCyclodium inermeSEM photo of Cyclodium inerme. Fig. 5E in published article. Voucher: Guyana, Tillett et al. 44942 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.cyclodium_inerme_79a_Guyana_ Tillett et al. 44942 ( NY).jpgPolybotrya aequatorianaSEM spore photo of Polybotrya aequatoriana. Fig. 5F in published article. Voucher: Bolivia, S. Beck 3060 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Polybotrya_aequatoriana_128b_S. Beck 3060 ( NY), Bolivia.jpgPolybotrya aequatoriana2SEM spore image of Polybotrya aequatoriana. Voucher: Bolivia, S. Beck 3060 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Polybotrya_aequatoriana_Bolivia, S. Beck 3060 ( NY).jpgPolystichopsis chaerophylloides2SEM spore image of Polystichopsis chaerophylloides. Voucher: Puerto Rico, Britton & Marble 1082 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Polystichopsis chaerophylloides, PR, Britton & Marble 1082 ( NY).jpgArachniodes ochropteroides2SEM spore image of Arachniodes ochropteroides. Voucher: Colombia, Sanin 5088 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Arachniodes ochropteroides, Colombia, Sanin 5088 (NY).jpgArachniodes ochropteroides3SEM spore photo of Arachniodes ochropteroides. Voucher: Colombia, Sanin 5088 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Arachniodes ochropteroides, Colombia_Sanin 5088 ( NY).jpgArachnoides ochropteroides4SEM photo of Arachnoides ochropteroides. Voucher: Surinam, T. Hawkins 1906 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Arachnoides ochropteroides, 112c_Surinam, T. Hawkins 1906 (NY).jpgArachniodes ochropteroides5SEM spore photo of Arachnoides_ochropteroides. Voucher: Suriname, T. Hawkins 1906 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.arachnoides_ochropteroides_Suriname, T. Hawkins 1906 (NY).jpgCyclodium inerme2SEM spore photo of Cyclodium inerme. Voucher: Guyana, Tillett et al. 44942 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Cyclodium inerme, Guyana, Tillett et al. 44942 (NY).jpgMaxonia apiifolia2SEM spore photo of Maxonia apiifolia. Voucher: Jamaica, Maxon 2822 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Maxonia apiifolia, Jamaica, Maxon 2822 (NY).jpgMaxonia apiifolia3SEM spore photo of Maxonia apiifolia. Voucher: Panama, Croat 17202 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Maxonia apiifolia, Panama, Croat 17202 ( NY).jpgMaxonia apiifolia4SEM spore photo of Maxonia_apiifolia. Voucher: Jamaica Maxon 2284 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Maxonia_apiifolia, Jamaica Maxon 2284 (NY).jpgMaxonia apiifolia5SEM spore photo of Maxonia_apiifolia. Voucher: Jamaica Maxon 2284 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Maxonia_apiifolia, Jamaica Maxon 2284 (NY).jpgMaxonia apiifolia6SEM spore photo of Maxonia_apiifolia. Voucher: Jamaica Maxon 2822 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Maxonia_apiifolia, Jamaica Maxon 2822 (NY).jpgOlfersia alata2SEM spore photo of Olfersia_alata. Voucher: Cuba, Wright 784 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Olfersia_alata, Cuba, Wright 784 (NY).jpgOlfersia alata3SEM spore image of Olfersia alata. Voucher:_Cuba, Wright 784 (NY). Scale bar = 10 micrometers.Olfersia_alata_Cuba, Wright 784 (NY).jpg