Deparia, commonly known as the false spleenworts, is a genus of ferns in the family Athyriaceae (order Polypodiales, class Polypodiopsida). The genus was first described by William Jackson Hooker and Robert Kaye Greville in Icones Filicum (1829–1830). The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I) places Deparia firmly within Athyriaceae, although other treatments have accommodated the genus within an expanded Aspleniaceae or Woodsiaceae, reflecting ongoing revision of the higher-level fern classification.
The genus is notably diverse, with approximately 129 species recognised in the GBIF backbone taxonomy; the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World (as of November 2019) notes that there are "probably still too many described species in China," indicating that species delimitation within Deparia remains an active area of systematic study. Several natural hybrids are also known. Members of the genus are distributed across tropical and subtropical Asia, with representation in Africa, the Pacific, and the Americas.
Etymology
The common name "false spleenworts" alludes to the genus's superficial resemblance to Asplenium (true spleenworts), from which it was historically distinguished. The genus name Deparia was established by Hooker & Greville (1829–1830) in Icones Filicum.
Taxonomy Notes
The placement of Deparia has been contested: PPG I (2016) places the genus in Athyriaceae, while other authorities subsume it within a broader Aspleniaceae or Woodsiaceae. GBIF recognises it in Athyriaceae, order Polypodiales. Species delimitation within the genus is unresolved, particularly in China where many described species may be synonymous.
