# Todea

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{{Short description|Genus of ferns}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| oldest_fossil = Early Cretaceous
| image = Todea barbara, Molweni-boloop, Krantzkloof NR, a.jpg
| image_caption = ''[Todea barbara](/source/Todea_barbara)''
| taxon = Todea
| authority = Willdenow ex Bernhardi
| type_species = ''Todea africana''
| type_species_authority = Willdenow 1802
| subdivision_ranks = [Species](/source/Species)
| subdivision = * [†](/source/Extinction)''[T. amissa](/source/Todea_amissa)''
* ''[T. barbara](/source/Todea_barbara)''
* ''[T. papuana](/source/Todea_papuana)''
* [†](/source/Extinction)''[T. tidwellii](/source/Todea_tidwellii)''
* [†](/source/Extinction)''[T. minutacaulis](/source/Todea_minutacaulis)''
}}

The [fern](/source/fern) genus '''''Todea''''' is known from only two living species. Species in the genus ''Todea'', as ''[Leptopteris](/source/Leptopteris)'', are distinct from other in [Osmundaceae](/source/Osmundaceae) in that [sporangia](/source/sporangia) are born on laminar pinnules.

== Description ==
The species in the genus have a sub-erect stem and coarse, [pinnate](/source/Pinnation) leaves. Many large sporangia are located on the bottoms of the leaves and are not arranged in sori or covered by an [indusium](/source/Sorus).<ref name="Peninsula">{{Cite book |last=Levyns |first=M.R. |title=A Guide to the Flora of the Cape Peninsula |publisher=Juta & Company, Limited |year=1966 |edition=2nd Revised |oclc=621340}}</ref>

== Species ==
Only two extant species are currently recognised. ''[Todea barbara](/source/Todea_barbara)'' L., known as the king fern, is native to [South Africa](/source/South_Africa), [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand), and [Australia](/source/Australia) while ''[Todea papuana](/source/Todea_papuana)'' H. is known only from [Papua New Guinea](/source/Papua_New_Guinea).

So far the fossil record of the genus ''Todea'' consists only of the permineralized rhizome ''[Todea tidwellii](/source/Todea_tidwellii)'' from the Lower [Cretaceous](/source/Cretaceous) of [Vancouver Island](/source/Vancouver_Island), Canada and the species ''Todea amissa'', known from the Eocene of [Patagonia](/source/Patagonia), [Argentina](/source/Argentina).<ref>{{cite journal|author=M. R. Carvalho |author2=P. Wilf |author3=E. J. Hermsen |author4=M. A. Gandolfo |author5=N. R. Cuneo |author6=K. R. Johnson |title=First record of Todea (Osmundaceae) in South America, from the early Eocene paleorainforests of Laguna del Hunco (Patagonia, Argentina)|journal=American Journal of Botany|year=2013|volume=100|issue=9|pages=1831–1848|doi=10.3732/ajb.1200637|pmid=24018858|hdl=11336/5393 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> ''Todea minutacaulis'' has also been described from the Lower Cretaceous of Vancouver Island and represents the first anatomically preserved fossil fern sporeling from the fossil record.  

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Nathan Jud, Gar W.Rothwell and Ruth A. Stockey. 2008. "''Todea'' from the Lower Cretaceous of western North America: implications for the phylogeny, systematics, and evolution of modern Osmundaceae." <u>American Journal of Botany</u>, 95:330-339.
* E.Hennipman. 1968. A new ''Todea'' from New Guinea, with remarks on the generic delimitation of recent Osmundaceae. <u>Blumea</u> 16: 105-108
* C.Michael Hogan. 2010. [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Fern?topic=49480 ''Fern''. Encyclopedia of Earth. eds. Saikat Basu and C.Cleveland. National Council for Science and the Environment]. Washington DC.
* Walker, Z., Rothwell, G. W., & Stockey, R. A. 2023. [https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajb2.16210 Fossil evidence for sporeling development of a Mesozoic osmundaceous fern]. ''American Journal of Botany'', 110: e16210-n/a. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16210</nowiki> 

==External links==
{{Commons category|Todea|<br />Todea}}
*[http://www.home.aone.net.au/~byzantium/ferns/descriptions/todea/todea.html "Ferns and Fern Allies in the Canberra Region" - ''Todea barbara'' (King Fern)] - ''includes photos'' (author: David Nicholls, January 1998).

{{Plant classification}}
{{Fern classification}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q3978390}}

Category:Osmundales
Category:Ferns of Australasia
Category:Fern genera
Category:Taxa described in 1801

{{Polypodiidae-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Todea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todea) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todea?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.