Polypodiaceae

Veins anastomosing Polypodiaceae
Large bracket-epiphytes with short thick rhizomes. Sori confluent, forming large patches 5–50 cm diam. on specialised areas of the fertile fronds. Fronds clothed with stellate hairs, markedly dimorphic; the outer scale-leaves sterile, horizontally spreading, orbicular-cordate or orbicular-reniform, eventually brown and papery; inner fronds fertile, erect or drooping, forked repeatedly, ± coriaceous Platycerium
Epiphytic or rupestral ferns with long-creeping rhizomes. Sori round or, if elongated and confluent, then 2–6.5 cm long. Scale-fronds absent