Overview
Leptosporangiate ferns evolved after the eusporangiate ferns, and have a specialised mechanism - the annulus - for opening the sporangium, in which the spores are made.
Prominent leptosporangiate ferns in the New Zealand flora include the filmy ferns (Hymenophyllum and Trichomanes), the tree ferns (Cyathea and Dicksonia), the spleenworts (Asplenium), and the hard ferns (Blechnum).