MORPHOLOGICAL SERIES WITHIN THE GENUS PYRROSIA, AND THEIR PHYLOGENETIC INTERPRETATION
The morphology of 13 species of Pyrrosia from India is described and the different species are arranged in six morphological groups, the Flocculosa, Heteractis, Mannii, Nayariana, Obovata, and Varia groups. It is postulated that P. subfurfuracea is the most primitive species in the genus, and the others are evolved from it: the different lines of descent from P. subfurfuracea are traced.It is concluded that Pyrrosia is more intimately related to Platycerium and Drymoglossum than to any other living fern, and along with them has evolved probably from extinct gleichenioid ancestors. The possible origin of a short-creeping rhizome, bearing leaves on phyllopodia associated with lateral branch buds, from ancestors possessing leaf-bearing vertical branches with arrested apical growth, as found in Stromatopteris, is suggested.