Melpomene is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I).
It is native to the Neotropical realm in the Americas and Africa.
The genus name of Melpomene is named after Melpomene, the Greek mythology being, the muse of chorus, who eventually became the muse of tragedy.
The genus was circumscribed by Alan Reid Smith and Robbin C. Moran in Novon Vol.2 (Issue 4) on page 426 in 1992.
Species Melpomene contains around 30, to 49 species. , the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World accepted the following thirty species:
Melpomene albicans Lehnert Melpomene allosuroides (Rosenst.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene anazalea Sundue & Lehnert Melpomene caput-gorgonis Lehnert Melpomene deltata (Mickel & Beitel) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene erecta (C.V.Morton) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene firma (J.Sm.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene flabelliformis (Poir.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene flagellata Lehnert Melpomene gracilis (Hook.) A.R.Sm. Melpomene huancabambensis Lehnert Melpomene jimenezii Lehnert Melpomene leptostoma (Fée) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene melanosticta (Kunze) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene michaelium Lehnert Melpomene moniliformis (Lag. ex Sw.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene occidentalis Lehnert Melpomene paradoxa Lehnert Melpomene pennellii (Copel.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene personata Lehnert Melpomene peruviana (Desv.). A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene pilosissima (M.Martens & Galeotti) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene pseudonutans (Christ & Rosenst.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene sklenarii Lehnert Melpomene sodiroi (Christ & Rosenst.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene vulcanica Lehnert Melpomene wolfii (Hieron.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene xiphopteroides (Liebm.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran Melpomene youngii (Stolze) B.León & A.R.Sm. Melpomene zempoaltepetlensis (Mickel & Beitel) A.R.Sm.
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