Dipteridaceae

The Dipteridaceae is a family of ferns in the order Gleicheniales of the class Polypodiopsida. They are commonly known as umbrella ferns and have two groups, called genera: Cheiropleuria and Dipteris. Together, these groups have nine different types, or species, found in parts of Asia, New Guinea, and northern Australia.

Although Dipteridaceae is a small family today, it was much more common and widespread long ago, during the Mesozoic era. The oldest known fossils of these ferns come from the Middle Triassic period in places like Italy, Australia, and Argentina. Scientists have found many different kinds of ancient fern fossils, including names like Hausmannia, Clathropteris, Dictyophyllum, Sewardalea, Thaumatopteris, Camptopteris, Patagoniapteris, Goeppertella, and Polyphacelus.

These ferns help scientists understand how plants have changed over millions of years. The study of Dipteridaceae also shows how ferns are connected to other fern families through their evolutionary history. This relationship is shown in a diagram that places Dipteridaceae among the other two families of Gleicheniales, helping us see its place in the big tree of plant life.