Table 9.

Distribution in the fern groups of heterosporous ferns, and those with chlorophyllous spores, trilete spores or gemmiferous gametophytes

	Chlorophyllous spores	Trilete spores	Heterosporous	Gemmiferous gametophytes	Gemmiferous sporophytes	Epiphytes
Thermophilous genera (group 1)	Xiphopteris Trichomanes	Pteris  Xiphopteris   Trichomanes	Selaginella	Xiphopteris  Trichomanes	Some Bolbitis	Trichomanes  Platycerium   Microsorum   Xiphopteris  Some Pyrrosia  Some Lepisorus  Some Loxogramme
Cold‐tolerant genera (group2)	Grammitis  Hymenophyllum	Grammitis  Lycopodium   Huperzia   Hymenophyllum	–	Grammitis  Hymenophyllum	Some Huperzia	Grammitis  Hymenophyllum  Some Elaphoglossum  Some Lycopodium
Drought‐tolerant genera (group 3)	–	Cheilanthes  Actiniopteris   Pellaea   Pityrogramma   Adiantum   Ophioglossum   Marsilea	Isoetes  Marsilea	–
Madagascar endemics and related species (group 4)	Ctenopteris	Cyathea  Gymnosphaera  Most Lindsaea   Doriopteris   Ctenopteris		Ctenopteris		Ctenopteris  Some Rumohra
Aspleniaceae					Some Asplenium	Some Asplenium
Others				Vittaria	Marattia	Belvisia  Phymatosorus   Drynaria  Some Polypodium  Some Vittaria  Some Davallia