鳞毛蕨亚科 lin mao jue ya ke

Authors: Li-Bing Zhang, Sugong Wu, Xiang Jianying, He Hai, Shugang Lu, Shiyong Dong, Wang Faguo, Prof. Fuwu Xing, David S. Barrington & Maarten J. M. Christenhusz

Fronds monomorphic, if dimorphic then rachis with proliferous bulbils borne at a prolonged flagelliform rachis terminal (Polystichum sect. Cyrtomiopsis). Sporangia in orbicular sori.

About 17 genera and 1,400 species: nearly cosmopolitan, but highest diversity found in E Asia (Dryopteris, Polystichum); six genera and 459 species (244 endemic) in China.

Subfamily Dryopteridoideae as defined here is based on morphological features and has not yet been recovered as monophyletic using molecular data.