a family of ferns (fern), containing about 950 species in 5–30 genera, in the division Pteridophyta. Members of Thelypteridaceae are distributed nearly worldwide, but species are most diverse in tropical regions. Nearly all of the species are terrestrial, and most occur in moist or wet habitats. Leaf size and morphology are extremely variable, but the lamina is typically one or more times pinnately compound. A characteristic feature of the family is the presence of small needlelike hairs on the leaves; these hairs sometimes occur in clusters and appear to be branched. The sori (fern) vary from round to linear and sometimes have a kidney-shaped, membranous protective flap of tissue (indusium (fern)). The spores are bean-shaped (bilateral).