Zealandia is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Microsoroideae, erected in 2019.[2] As of February 2020[update], the genus was not accepted by some sources.
Taxonomy
The division of the subfamily Microsoroideae into genera has long been uncertain. A 2019 molecular phylogenetic study suggested that there were three clades close to Lecanopterissensu stricto and distinct from other clades in the subfamily. The authors of the study preferred to set up three extra monophyletic genera, rather than use a broader circumscription of Lecanopteris. The genera are related as shown in the following cladogram.[2]
As of February 2020[update], the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World recognized the segregate genera, including Zealandia;[1] other sources did not.[3]
Species
As of February 2020[update], the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World recognized the following species:[1]
Zealandia powellii (Baker) Testo & A.R.Field – Maluku through New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Pitcairn Islands, Cook Islands, and Society Islands
Zealandia pustulata (G.Forst.) Testo & A.R.Field – eastern Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe and Norfolk islands, New Zealand