| Eupolypods II | |
|---|---|
| Blechnum moorei | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pteridophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida/Pteridopsida (disputed) |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| (unranked): | Eupolypods |
| (unranked): | Eupolypods II |
| Families | |
|
Blechnaceae |
|
Eupolypods II is a clade of ferns in the order Polypodiales.
Although studies agree that the families in question are related to each other, classifications which define the order Polypodiales broadly (to include families such as Dennstaedtiaceae and Pteridaceae) include the Blechnales in that order.[1] Other classifications split the broad Polypodiales into about six orders, one of which is Blechnales.
This clade includes some important ferns, including the Sensitive fern, Onoclea sensibilis, which grows as a virtual weed throughout much of its temperate North American range, and ferns of the genus Thelypteris, a genus that has shown remarkable speciation. It also includes one of the more common horticultural ferns, the Ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris.
The names Athyriales, Aspleniales, Thelypteridales, and Blechnales all have been validly published. However, the name Blechnales has precedence, having been published in 1993 (v. 1996 for Aspleniales, and 2001 for Thelypteridales and Athyriales). More recently however, Blechnales has been included in Polypodiales under the name of Eupolypods II.