Nephrolepis Schott

Terrestrial, subepiphytic or epihytic ferns of small to large size. Rhizome compact, +/- erect, ensely clothed in brown, non-clathrate, peltate-based, pale-edged, often hairy scales, radially symmetrick with close fronds, each associated with a slender, root-bearing, often proliferous runner, the caudex sclerotic, dictyostelic, the runner protostelic. Fronds long stipitate, the stipes not articulate the rot rhizome, fibro-vascular bundles 6 or more, arranged in a U-shape, the 2 adaxial bundles larger; the lamina long and narrow, pinnate, the pinnae sessile, articulate to the rachis, the apical pinnae gradually reduced, chartaceous to sub coriaceous, paleate, hairy, or glabrescent, costate, the costa adiaxially grooved, margin entire to slightly crenate or lobed, veins free, simple or more often 1 - 3-forked, one vein group in each crenation, each branch terminating in a conspicuous intra- or submarginal hydathode, often visible as a while scale on the adaxial surface. Sporangia arranged in sori terminal on the veins, submarginal or intramarginal, generally discrete, round and served by a single vein, or elongate along the margin and served by several veins, indusium extrorse, round-reinform attached at the sinus, or doundish and attached across a broad base, or elongate along the margin, pdeicel long, 3-seriate, annulus longitudina, interrupted, of 12 - 14 thickened cells. Spores monolete with an irregularly roughened surface, translucent.

Species in Papuasia

*** N. exaltata ****