Marattiales

Marattiales is an order of ferns consisting of some of the most primitive living lineages within the fern group. In contemporary classifications, it includes two living families, Marattiaceae and Angiopteridaceae, which together contain several genera such as Marattia and Angiopteris. Some systems treat the two families as distinct, while others place Angiopteridaceae within Marattiaceae as subfamilies. The order is often cited as representing an early branch of eusporangiate ferns, in contrast to the more diverse leptosporangiate ferns that dominate many modern habitats.

Members of Marattiales are typically large ferns with substantial rhizomes and sizable fronds. They are predominantly tropical and subtropical in distribution, though a few species reach temperate zones. Habitually they grow as terrestrial plants, sometimes forming dense understories in forests or thriving in rocky, shaded habitats. Leaves are usually large, simple to palmately or pinnately compound, and can contribute to the striking appearance of these ferns in their natural environments.

Reproduction in Marattiales involves spores produced by eusporangia, a characteristic inherited from early fern lineages. The sporangia develop from multiple initial cells and are borne on the undersides of the fronds, often in clusters or along the leaf veins. The life cycle includes a free-living, photosynthetic sporophyte and a diminutive, free-living gametophyte.

The fossil record of Marattiales extends back to the Paleozoic, with abundant material from the Carboniferous and Permian periods. Today, members of the order are valued for their ancient lineage, distinctive morphology, and ecological roles in forest ecosystems.