Dicksoniaceae

Dicksoniaceae, the tree fern family, containing about 3 genera and some 30 species, in the division Pteridophyta (the lower vascular plants). The family has a long and diverse fossil record extending back to the Triassic Period (251 million to 199.6 million years ago). A phytomedicinal preparation obtained from aerial parts of Dicksonia sellowiana (Dicksoniaceae), a native plant from Central and South America, has been widely used in Brazil against asthma and presents beneficial effects in several other diseases, including cardiovascular disturbance.