Paraceterach falcata

Pellaea falcata

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Polypodiales
Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Diaphoretickes Cladus: CAM Cladus: Archaeplastida Regnum: Plantae Divisio: Tracheophyta Divisio: Pteridophyta Classis: Polypodiopsida Ordo: Polypodiales

Familia: Pteridaceae
Subfamilia: Cheilanthoideae
Genus: Paraceterach
Species: Paraceterach falcata

Name

Paraceterach falcata (R.Br.) Li Bing Zhang, X.M.Zhou & Jing Zhao, Phytotaxa 731(3): 229 (2025).

Synonyms

• Basionym
  • Pteris falcata R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland.: 154 (1810).
    • Typus: Kent Island [Tasmania] ‘& Hawkesbury’, R. Brown Iter Austral. 59 (Lectotype: BM 001044098; possible isolectotypes: BM 001044100, E 00208913, K 001090029, MEL 68065 (designated by P.D. Bostock in P.M. McCarthy (ed.), Fl. Australia 48: 266 (1998))
• Homotypic
  • Platyloma falcatum (R.Br.) J.Sm., J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 160 (1841).
  • Allosorus falcatus (R.Br.) Kunze, Linnaea 23: 219 (1850).
  • Pellaea falcata (R.Br.) Fée, Mém. Foug., 5. Gen. Filic. 129 (1852).
  • Hemionitis pellaea Christenh., Global Fl. 4: 19 (2018), nom. nov.
• Heterotypic
  • Pteris alternifolia Wall., Numer. List n. 2182 (1829), nom. inval.
  • Pteris seticaulis Hook., Hooker's Icon. Pl. 3: t. 207 [IPNI, POWO: "209"] (1839).
    • Pellaea falcata var. setosa Hook., Sp. Fil. 2: 136, t. 111B (1858).
    • Pellaea seticaulis (Hook.) S.R.Ghosh, J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 7(3): 681 (1986) [1985 publ. 1986].
  • Platyloma falcatum var. caudatum E.J.Lowe, Ferns 3: 84, sub. t. XXX-B (1857). "caudata"
  • Platyloma falcatum var. setosum Bedd., Ferns S. India 7, t. 22 (1863).
  • Pteris falcata var. deltoidea F.Muell., Fragm. 5: 188 (1865).
  • Pellaea integricuspis E.Fourn., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. sér. 5, 18: 324 (1873).
    • Allosorus integricuspis (E.Fourn.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 806 (1891).
  • Pellaea falcata var. denticulata Bonap., Notes Pteridol. 5: 126 (1917).
    • Type: Queensland, Brisbane River, A. Dietrich 493 (Lectotype, designated by Bostock, Fl. Australia 48: 708 (1998): P).

Distribution

Native distribution areas:

Continental: Asia-Tropical Regional: Indian Subcontinent India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu), Sri Lanka. Regional: Malesia Lesser Sunda Islands (Lombok), Malaya, Sulawesi. Continental: Australasia Regional: Australia Norfolk Islands (Lord Howe Island), New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria. Regional: New Zealand Kermadec Islands, New Zealand North (main island, Three Kings Islands). Continental: Pacific Regional: Southwestern Pacific New Caledonia. References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition

References

Primary references

• Fée, A.L.A. 1850–1852. Mémoires sur les Familles des Fougères; Cinquieme Mémoire, Genera Filicum. 387 pp., xxx pl., Paris / Strasbourg. BHL Reference page. 

Additional references

• Bostock, P.D. 1998. Adiantaceae (except Cheilanthes)). Pp. 248–271 in MacCarthy, P.M. (ed.), Flora of Australia 48. Ferns, Gymnosperms and allied groups. 766 pp. Melbourne: CSIRO. ISBN 0-643-05972-5 PDF Reference page. 

Links

• Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Paraceterach falcata in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Feb 11. Reference page. 
• Hassler, M. 2026. World Ferns. Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World. . Paraceterach falcata Accessed: 27 Apr 2026. Reference page.
• Tropicos.org 2021. Paraceterach falcata. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 11 Feb 2021. Reference page.
• International Plant Names Index. 2021. Paraceterach falcata. Published online. Accessed: 11 Feb 2021. Reference page.
• USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Paraceterach falcata in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12. Reference page. 

Vernacular names

• English: Sickle fern

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