The family and genus were erected in 2016, following a
molecular phylogenetic study. It was shown that the species previously known as
Diplazium lechleri was sister to a clade formed by the families
Hemidictyaceae and
Aspleniaceae, considerably removed from the
Athyriaceae where it had previously been classified. Accordingly, a new genus and family were created and
Diplazium lechleri transferred to
Desmophlebium lechleri. Another species was added to the genus on the basis of its morphology. The generic name refers to the distinctive thickened vein running just inside the edge of a
pinna (submarginal) connecting the ends of other veins. The authors derived it from the
Greek , , meaning 'band', combined with , , meaning 'vein'. ( is the genitive of , , 'vein'.) In the
Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the family Desmophlebiaceae is a member of the subclass
Polypodiidae (the leptosporangiate ferns), order
Polypodiales, suborder
Aspleniineae – a group known informally as "eupolypods II". A consensus cladogram showing one hypothesis for its relationship to other families in the suborder is: }}
Species ,
Plants of the World Online accepts two species: •
Desmophlebium lechleri (Mett.) Mynssen, A.Vasco, Sylvestre, R.C.Moran & Rouhan •
Desmophlebium longisorum (Baker) Mynssen, A.Vasco, Sylvestre, R.C.Moran & Rouhan ==References==