Nephrolepis


Nephrolepis is a genus of about 30 species of ferns. It is the only genus in the family Nephrolepidaceae, placed in the suborder Aspleniineae of the order Polypodiales in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016. The genus is commonly referred to as macho ferns or swordferns.

Phylogeny

The following cladogram for the suborder Polypodiineae, based on the consensus cladogram in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016, shows a likely phylogenetic relationship between Nephrolepidaceae and the other families of the clade.

Selected species

Some species of Nephrolepis are grown as ornamental plants.
Nephrolepis exaltata and Nephrolepis obliterata are reported to be good plants for cleaning indoor air.
Some Nephrolepis species may prove to be a good source of new antimicrobial chemicals.