Matoniaceae is one of the three families of ferns in the Gleicheniales order of the Polypodiopsida class. Fossil records reveal that Matoniaceae ferns were abundant during the Mesozoic era (about 250-million to 66-million years ago), during which they lived on every continent, including Antarctica, with eight genera and 26 species, with the oldest known specimens being from the Middle Triassic of Antarctica. Today the family is much less abundant, and also less diverse, with only two extant genera and four species, which are limited to portions of southeastern Asia.
The following diagram shows a likely phylogenic relationship with the other two families of the Gleicheniales.
Extant taxa
genus species species genus species species
Extinct genera
Some common Mesozoic Matoniaceae genera and a sampling of their species include:
genus species species genus species species species species species genus genus Nagalingum & Cantrill: Early Cretaceous Gleicheniaceae and Matoniaceae (Gleicheniales) from Alexander Island, Antarctica Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 138 (2006) species species species species species genus Microdictyon genus Tomaniopteris Klavins et al. Fremouw Formation, Middle Triassic, Antarctica Konijnenburgia Kvaček et Dašková, 2010 Piedra Clavada Formation, Argentina, Albian
References