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Encyclopedia > Polypodiopsida

How to read a taxoboxFerns (Pteridophyta)
Polystichum setiferum showing unrolling young frond
Polystichum setiferum showing unrolling young frond
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pteridophyta
Classes

Psilotopsida
Equisetopsida
Marattiopsida
Polypodiopsida This article explains how to read a taxobox. ... Image File history File links Polystichum_setiferum0. ... Binomial name Polystichum setiferum (Forssk. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Species Subgenus Equisetum Equisetum arvense - Field or Common Horsetail Equisetum bogotense - Andean Horsetail Equisetum diffusum - Himalayan Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile - Water Horsetail Equisetum palustre - Marsh Horsetail Equisetum pratense - Shade Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum - Wood Horsetail Equisetum telmateia - Great Horsetail Subgenus Hippochaete Equisetum giganteum - Giant Horsetail Equisetum myriochaetum - Mexican Giant Horsetail Equisetum hyemale... Orders Marattiales Christenseniales The Marattiales are basal ferns that are quite different from many plants familiar to people in temperate zones. ...

A fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta. The group is also referred to as polypodiophyta, or polypodiopsida when treated as a subdivision of tracheophyta (vascular plants). The study of ferns is called pteridology; one who studies ferns is called a pteridologist. The term pteridophytes has traditionally been used to describe all seedless vascular plants so is synonymous with "ferns and fern allies". This can be confusing given that the fern phylum Pteridophyta is also sometimes referred to as pteridophytes. In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Divisions Non-seed-bearing plants Equisetophyta Lycopodiophyta Psilotophyta Pteridophyta Superdivision Spermatophyta Pinophyta Cycadophyta Ginkgophyta Gnetophyta Magnoliophyta The vascular plants are plants in the kingdom Plantae (also called Viridiplantae) that have specialized tissues for conducting water. ... The pteridophytes are vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that neither flower nor produce seeds. ... Divisions Non-seed-bearing plants Equisetophyta Lycopodiophyta Psilotophyta Pteridophyta Superdivision Spermatophyta Pinophyta Cycadophyta Ginkgophyta Gnetophyta Magnoliophyta The vascular plants are plants in the Kingdom Plantae (also called Viridiplantae) that have specialized tissues for conducting water. ... Fern ally is a general term covering a somewhat diverse group of vascular plants that are not flowering plants and not true ferns. ...


A fern is a vascular plant that differs from the more primitive lycophytes in having true leaves (megaphylls), and from the more advanced seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) in lacking seeds. Like all vascular plants, it has a life cycle, often referred to as alternation of generations, characterised by a diploid sporophytic and a haploid gametophytic phase. Unlike the gymnosperms and angiosperms, in ferns the gametophyte is a free-living organism. The life cycle of a typical fern is as follows: Divisions Non-seed-bearing plants Equisetophyta Lycopodiophyta Psilotophyta Pteridophyta Superdivision Spermatophyta Pinophyta Cycadophyta Ginkgophyta Gnetophyta Magnoliophyta The vascular plants are plants in the Kingdom Plantae (also called Viridiplantae) that have specialized tissues for conducting water. ... Classes Lycopodiopsida - clubmosses Selaginellopsida - spikemosses Isoetopsida - quillworts The division Lycopodiophyta is a tracheophyte subdivision of the Kingdom Plantae that includes some of the most primitive of extant (living) vascular plants. ... The leaves of a Beech tree A leaf with laminar structure and pinnate venation In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... The spermatophytes comprise those plants that produce seeds. ... Coast Douglas-fir cone This article lacks an appropriate Taxobox You can help Wikipedia by adding one. ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also angiosperms or Magnoliophyta) are one of the major groups of modern plants, comprising those that produce seeds in specialized reproductive organs called flowers, where the ovulary or carpel is enclosed. ... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... A life cycle is a period involving one generation of an organism through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction. ... Sporic or diplohaplontic life cycle. ... Diploid (meaning double in Greek) cells have two copies (homologs) of each chromosome (both sex- and non-sex determining chromosomes), usually one from the mother and one from the father. ... In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a sporophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains a total complement of chromosomes: The sporophyte produces spores, in a process called meiosis. ... Haploid (meaning simple in Greek) cells have only one copy of each chromosome. ... In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains only half of the total complement of chromosomes: The sporophyte produces spores, in a process called meiosis. ...

  1. A sporophyte (diploid) phase produces haploid spores by meiosis;
  2. A spore grows by cell division into a gametophyte, which typically consists of a photosynthetic prothallus
  3. The gametophyte produces gametes (often both sperm and eggs on the same prothallus) by mitosis
  4. A mobile, flagellate sperm fertilizes an egg that remains attached to the prothallus
  5. The fertilized egg is now a diploid zygote and grows by mitosis into a sporophyte (the typical "fern" plant).

Contents

In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a sporophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains a total complement of chromosomes: The sporophyte produces spores, in a process called meiosis. ... Diploid (meaning double in Greek) cells have two copies (homologs) of each chromosome (both sex- and non-sex determining chromosomes), usually one from the mother and one from the father. ... Haploid (meaning simple in Greek) cells have only one copy of each chromosome. ... This article is about a biological reproductive structure; for the video game, see Spore (video game). ... In biology, meiosis is the process that allows one diploid cell to divide in a special way to generate haploid cells in eukaryotes. ... In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains only half of the total complement of chromosomes: The sporophyte produces spores, in a process called meiosis. ... Liverwort Prothallus A prothallium, or prothallus; from Latin pro = forwards and Greek θαλλος (thallos) = twig; is a pteridophyte, i. ... Gametes (in Greek: γαμέτες) —also known as sex cells, germ cells, or spores—are the specialized cells that come together during fertilization (conception) in organisms that reproduce sexually. ... The signifier sperm can refer to: (mass noun, from Greek sperma = seed) a substance which consists of spermatozoa and which is a component of semen (mass noun) semen itself (informally, count noun with plural sperm or sperms) a single spermatozoon (= sperm cell) sperma ceti (Latin ceti, genitive of cetus = whale... A human ovum Sperm cells attempting to fertilize an ovum An ovum (plural ova) is a haploid female reproductive cell or gamete. ... Mitosis divides genetic information during cell division. ... A flagellum (plural, flagella) is a whip-like organelle that many unicellular organisms, and some multicellular ones, use to move about. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Fern structure

Ferns at the Royal Melbourne Botanical Gardens
Ferns at the Royal Melbourne Botanical Gardens
Tree ferns, probably Dicksonia antarctica
Tree ferns, probably Dicksonia antarctica

Like the sporophytes of seed plants, those of ferns consist of: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 746 KB) Ferns, Melbourne Botanical Gardens File links The following pages link to this file: Fern ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 746 KB) Ferns, Melbourne Botanical Gardens File links The following pages link to this file: Fern ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1484x1600, 1025 KB) Ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) in Nunniong, Australia File links The following pages link to this file: Fern User:Fir0002/Fir0002 gallery Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/July 2005 ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1484x1600, 1025 KB) Ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) in Nunniong, Australia File links The following pages link to this file: Fern User:Fir0002/Fir0002 gallery Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/July 2005 ...

  • Stems: Most often an underground creeping rhizome, but sometimes an above-ground creeping stolon (e.g., Polypodiaceae), or an above-ground erect semi-woody trunk (e.g., Cyatheaceae) reaching up to 20 m in a few species (e.g., Cyathea brownii on Norfolk Island and Cyathea medullaris in New Zealand).
  • Leaf: The green, photosynthetic part of the plant. In ferns, it is often referred to as a frond, but this is because of the historical division between people who study ferns and people who study seed plants, rather than because of differences in structure. New leaves typically expand by the unrolling of a tight spiral called a crozier or fiddlehead. This uncurling of the leaf is termed circinate vernation. Leaves are divided into two types:
    • Trophophyll: A leaf that does not produce spores, instead only producing sugars by photosynthesis. Analogous to the typical green leaves of seed plants.
    • Sporophyll: A leaf that produces spores. These leaves are analogous to the scales of pine cones or to stamens and pistil in gymnosperms and angiosperms, respectively. Unlike the seed plants, however, the sporophylls of ferns are typically not very specialized, looking similar to trophophylls and producing sugars by photosynthesis as the trophophylls do.
  • Roots: The underground non-photosynthetic structures that take up water and nutrients from soil. They are always fibrous and are structurally very similar to the roots of seed plants.

The gametophytes of ferns, however, are very different from those of seed plants. They typically consist of: A stem is the main axis of a vascular plant that is divided into nodes and internodes and has one or more leaves or buds at the nodes. ... Ginger rhizome A rhizome is, in botany, a usually underground, horizontal stem of a plant that often sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. ... A stolon is an aerial shoot from a plant with the ability to produce adventitious roots and new offshoots of the same plant. ... Genera Aglaomorpha Belvisia Campyloneurum Crypsinus Cyrtomium Dicranoglossum Drymogolossum Drynaria Goniophlebium Lepisorus Leptochilus Marginariopsis Microgramma Microphlebodium Microsorium Myrmecophila Neurodium Niphidium Pecluma Phlebodium Phymatodes Platycerium Polypodium w/ synonyms Pleopodium Pleopeltis Polypodiodes Polypodiopteris Pseudocolysis Pyrrosia Solanopteris Thylacopteris many others Polypodiaceae is a family of polypod ferns, which includes approximately 50 genera divided into... Genera Alsophila Cnemidaria Cyathea Sphaeropteris The Cyatheaceae is a family of fern that includes the worlds tallest tree ferns, which reach heights up to 20 m. ... The leaves of a Beech tree A leaf with laminar structure and pinnate venation In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... For other uses, see Green (disambiguation). ... The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants. ... A fern with simple (lobed or pinnatifid) blades, the dissection of each blade not quite reaching to the rachis. ... Fiddlehead is a name referring either to a young fern or to the top part of immature fronds that appear curled. ... This Australian tree fern is producing a new frond by the process of circinate vernation Vernation (from vernal, since that is when leaves spring forth in Temperate regions) is the formation of new leaves or fronds. ... A sporophyll is a a spore-bearing leaf located on plants such as ferns or algae. ... Primary and secondary roots in a cotton plant In vascular plants, the root is that organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil (compare with stem). ... A fibrous root system (sometimes also called adventitious root system) is the opposite of a tap root system. ...

  • Prothallus: A green, photosynthetic structure that is one cell thick, usually heart- or kidney-shaped, 3-10 mm long and 2-8 mm broad. The thallus produces gametes by means of:
    • Antheridia: Small spherical structures that produce flagellate sperm.
    • Archegonia: A flask-shaped structure that produces a single egg at the bottom, reached by the sperm by swimming down the neck.
  • Rhizoids: root-like structures (not true roots) that consist of single greatly-elongated cells, water and mineral salts are absorbed over the whole structure. Rhizoids anchor the prothallus to the soil.

Diagram of antheridium anatomy An antheridium (plural: antheridia) is a structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants producing and containing the spermatids or male gametes. ... A flagellum (plural, flagella) is a whip-like organelle that many unicellular organisms, and some multicellular ones, use to move about. ... An archegonium (pl: archegonia) (from the Greek arche = beginning and gonos = born) is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants producing and containing the ovum or female gamete. ... Rhizoids, in fungi, are small branching hyphae that grow downwards from the stolons that anchor the fungus. ... Primary and secondary roots in a cotton plant In vascular plants, the root is that organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil (compare with stem). ...

Evolution and classification

Ferns first appear in the fossil record in the early-Carboniferous period. By the Triassic, the first evidence of ferns related to several modern families appeared. The "great fern radiation" occurred in the late-Cretaceous, when many modern families of ferns first appeared. The Carboniferous is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. ... The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 to 200 Ma (million years ago). ... The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ...


Ferns have traditionally been grouped in the Class Filices, but modern classifications assign them their own division in the plant kingdom, called Pteridophyta.


Traditionally, three discrete groups of plants have been considered ferns: two groups of eusporangiate ferns--families Ophioglossaceae (adders-tongues, moonworts, and grape-ferns) and Marattiaceae--and the leptosporangiate ferns. The Marattiaceae are a primitive group of tropical ferns with a large, fleshy rhizome, and are now thought to be a sibling taxon to the main group of ferns, the leptosporangiate ferns. Several other groups of plants were considered "fern allies": the clubmosses, spikemosses, and quillworts in the Lycopodiophyta, the whisk ferns in Psilotaceae, and the horsetails in the Equisetaceae. More recent genetic studies have shown that the Lycopodiophyta are only distantly related to any other vascular plants, having radiated evolutionarily at the base of the vascular plant clade, while both the whisk ferns and horsetails are as much "true" ferns as are the Ophioglossoids and Marattiaceae. In fact, the whisk ferns and Ophioglossoids are demonstrably a clade, and the horsetails and Marattiaceae are arguably another clade. Species Ophioglossum azoricum Ophioglossum engelmanii Ophioglossum lusitanicum Ophioglossum pycnosticum Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders-tongues are plants of the genus Ophioglossum, which means snake-tongue. Ophioglossum is in the family Ophioglossaceae, in the order Ophioglossales, a small group of vascular plants. ... Species Ophioglossum azoricum Ophioglossum engelmanii Ophioglossum lusitanicum Ophioglossum pycnosticum Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders-tongues are plants of the genus Ophioglossum, which means snake-tongue. Ophioglossum is in the family Ophioglossaceae, in the order Ophioglossales, a small group of vascular plants. ... Species Botrychium boreale Botrychium lanceolatum Botrychium lunaria Botrychium matricariifolium Botrychium simplex Moonwort is also a fernlike plant known as honesty. ... Species Botrypus virginianum Grape-ferns are seedless vascular plants of the genus Botrypus, closely allied to (and previously often included in) the genus Botrychium (moonworts). ... Orders Marattiales Class Marattiopsida is a group of ferns containing a single order, Marattiales, and family, Marattiaceae. ... A sporangium (pl. ... Fern ally is a general term covering a somewhat diverse group of vascular plants that are not flowering plants and not true ferns. ... Families Lycopodiaceae Huperziaceae The Class Lycopodiopsida includes the clubmosses. ... Species See text Spikemoss refers to any plant of the genus Selaginella in the family Selaginellaceae. ... Species See text Quillworts are plants of the genus Isoetes in the class Isoetopsida and order Isoetales. ... Classes Lycopodiopsida - clubmosses Selaginellopsida - spikemosses Isoetopsida - quillworts The Division Lycopodiophyta (sometimes called Lycophyta) is a tracheophyte subdivision of the Kingdom Plantae. ... Species Psilotum nudum (L.) Beauvois - Whisk Fern Psilotum complanatum Sw. ... Species Psilotum nudum (L.) Beauvois Psilotum complanatum Sw. ... Species The horsetails are vascular plants, comprising 15 species of plants in the genus Equisetum. ... Species Subgenus Equisetum Equisetum arvense - Field or Common Horsetail Equisetum bogotense - Andean Horsetail Equisetum diffusum - Himalayan Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile - Water Horsetail Equisetum palustre - Marsh Horsetail Equisetum pratense - Shade Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum - Wood Horsetail Equisetum telmateia - Great Horsetail Subgenus Hippochaete Equisetum giganteum - Giant Horsetail Equisetum myriochaetum - Mexican Giant Horsetail Equisetum hyemale... Divisions Non-seed-bearing plants Equisetophyta Lycopodiophyta Psilotophyta Pteridophyta Superdivision Spermatophyta Pinophyta Cycadophyta Ginkgophyta Gnetophyta Magnoliophyta The vascular plants are plants in the Kingdom Plantae (also called Viridiplantae) that have specialized tissues for conducting water. ... A clade is a term belonging to the discipline of cladistics. ...


One possible means of treating this situation is to consider only the leptosporangiate ferns as "true" ferns, while considering the other three groups as "fern allies". In practice, numerous classification schemes have been proposed for ferns and fern allies, and there has been little consensus among them. A new classification by Smith et al. (2006) is based on recent molecular systematic studies, in addition to morphological data. This classification divides ferns into four classes:

  • Psilotopsida
  • Equisetopsida
  • Marattiopsida
  • Polypodiopsida

The last group includes most plants familiarly known as ferns. Modern research supports older ideas based on morphology that the Osmundaceae diverged early in the evolutionary history of the leptosporangiate ferns; in certain ways this family is intermediate between the eusporangiate ferns and the leptosporangiate ferns.


A more complete classification scheme (with alternative names in brackets) follows:

Families and Genera Family Ophioglossaceae Ophioglossum Cheiroglossa Family Botrychiaceae Botrychium Botrypus Sceptridium Family Helminthostachiaceae Helminthostachys zeylanica The Ophioglossophyta (lit. ... Species Ophioglossum azoricum Ophioglossum engelmanii Ophioglossum lusitanicum Ophioglossum pycnosticum Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders-tongues are plants of the genus Ophioglossum, which means snake-tongue. Ophioglossum is in the family Ophioglossaceae, in the order Ophioglossales, a small group of vascular plants. ... The Botrychiaceae (moonwort family) is a small family of three genera in the order Ophioglossophyta. ... Binomial name Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook. ... Families Psilotaceae Tmesipteridaceae Zosterophyllopsida† Psilotales (the whisk ferns) is an order (i. ... Species Psilotum nudum (L.) Beauvois Psilotum complanatum Sw. ... Species Subgenus Equisetum Equisetum arvense - Field or Common Horsetail Equisetum bogotense - Andean Horsetail Equisetum diffusum - Himalayan Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile - Water Horsetail Equisetum palustre - Marsh Horsetail Equisetum pratense - Shade Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum - Wood Horsetail Equisetum telmateia - Great Horsetail Subgenus Hippochaete Equisetum giganteum - Giant Horsetail Equisetum myriochaetum - Mexican Giant Horsetail Equisetum hyemale... Species Subgenus Equisetum Equisetum arvense - Field or Common Horsetail Equisetum bogotense - Andean Horsetail Equisetum diffusum - Himalayan Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile - Water Horsetail Equisetum palustre - Marsh Horsetail Equisetum pratense - Shade Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum - Wood Horsetail Equisetum telmateia - Great Horsetail Subgenus Hippochaete Equisetum giganteum - Giant Horsetail Equisetum myriochaetum - Mexican Giant Horsetail Equisetum hyemale... Species Subgenus Equisetum Equisetum arvense - Field or Common Horsetail Equisetum bogotense - Andean Horsetail Equisetum diffusum - Himalayan Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile - Water Horsetail Equisetum palustre - Marsh Horsetail Equisetum pratense - Shade Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum - Wood Horsetail Equisetum telmateia - Great Horsetail Subgenus Hippochaete Equisetum giganteum - Giant Horsetail Equisetum myriochaetum - Mexican Giant Horsetail Equisetum hyemale... Orders Marattiales Christenseniales The Marattiales are basal ferns that are quite different from many plants familiar to people in temperate zones. ... Orders Marattiales Christenseniales The Marattiopsida are primitive ferns that are largely quite different from many of the plants that are familiar to people in temperate zones. ... Orders Marattiales Class Marattiopsida is a group of ferns containing a single order, Marattiales, and family, Marattiaceae. ... Genera See text The Hymenophyllaceae (filmy ferns and bristle ferns) is a family of seven genera and over 600 species of ferns, with a subcosmopolitan distribution, but generally restricted to very damp places or to locations where they are wetted by spray from waterfalls or springs. ... Species See text Lygodium (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. ... Species See text. ... Marsileaceae Categories: Stub | Plant families | Pteridophyta ... Genera Salvinia The Salviniaceae are a family of ferns, which contains the single genus Salvinia. ... Species Azolla caroliniana Willd. ... Familes and Genera Cyatheaceae     Alsophila     Cnemidaria     Cyathea     Sphaeropteris     Trichipteris Dicksoniaceae     Calochleana     Cibotium     Culcita     Cystodium     Dicksonia     Thyrsopteris Losophoriaceae     Lophosoria Loxomaceae     Loxoma     Loxsomopsis Metaxyaceae     Metaxya The order Cyatheales is a taxonomic division of the fern (Division Pteridophyta) subclass, Cyatheatae, which includes the Tree ferns. ... Species See text. ... Genera Alsophila Cnemidaria Cyathea Sphaeropteris The Cyatheaceae is a family of fern that includes the worlds tallest tree ferns, which reach heights up to 20 m. ... Genera Cnemidaria Cyathea × Cyathidaria †Alsophilocaulis †Cibotiocaulis †Cyatheocaulis †Oguracaulis Synonyms Alsophilaceae Presl, 1847 The Cyatheaceae is a family of fern that includes the worlds tallest tree ferns, which reach heights up to 20 m. ... Genera Calochlaena Cibotium Culcita Cystodium Dicksonia Thysopteris The Dicksoniaceae are a family of tropical, subtropical and warm temperate ferns. ... Families see text The order Polypodiales encompasses the major lineages of polypod ferns, which comprise more than 80% of todays fern species. ... Genera Dennstaedtia Hypolepis Odontosoria Pteridium Dennstaedtiaceae is the only family of ferns in the order Dennstaedtiales. ... Genera See text Pteridaceae is a large family of ferns in the order Pteridales. ... Genera See text. ... Species Adiantum capillus-veneris - Venus-hair fern Adiantum pedatum - five-finger fern Adiantum peruvianum Adiantum raddianum Adiantum reniforme Maidenhair ferns are ferns of the genus Adiantum of about 200 species, the only genus of the Greek, meaning not wetting, referring to the fronds ability to shed water without becoming wet. ... Genera Ceratopteris Parkeriaceae is a small fern family, including only a single genus, Ceratopteris (syn. ... Genera The Aspleniaceae (spleenworts) is a family of ferns, the only family in the order Aspleniales. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Athyriaceae Alston 蹄蓋蕨科 Woodsiaceae (Diels) Herter 岩蕨科 Hypodematiaceae Ching腫足蕨科 Onocleaceae Pichi Sermollib球子蕨科 Description Terrestrial ferns. ... Genera See text Blechnaceae is a family of nine genera and between 240-260 species of ferns, with a cosmopolitan distribution. ... ... Genera Arachniodes Bolbitis Ctenitis Cyrtomium Dryopteris Phanerophlebia Polystichum Rumohra The Dryopteridaceae includes many ferns prized as ornamentals, including the wood ferns, holly ferns, florists fern, and others. ... Species See text Nephrolepis is a genus of about 30 species of ferns in the family Lomariopsidaceae (included in Davalliaceae in some classifications). ... Genera Davallia Davallodes Leucostegia Humata Rumohra Scyphylaria Davalliaceae is a family of polypod ferns, which includes seven genera, the species of which grow mostly in the old world tropics or subtropics. ... Genera Aglaomorpha Belvisia Campyloneurum Crypsinus Cyrtomium Dicranoglossum Drymogolossum Drynaria Goniophlebium Lepisorus Leptochilus Marginariopsis Microgramma Microphlebodium Microsorium Myrmecophila Neurodium Niphidium Pecluma Phlebodium Phymatodes Platycerium Polypodium w/ synonyms Pleopodium Pleopeltis Polypodiodes Polypodiopteris Pseudocolysis Pyrrosia Solanopteris Thylacopteris many others Polypodiaceae is a family of polypod ferns, which includes approximately 50 genera divided into...

Economic uses

Ferns are not as important economically as seed plants but have considerable importance. Ferns of the genus Azolla are very small, floating plants that do not look like ferns. Called mosquito fern, they are used as a biological fertilizer in the rice paddies of southeast Asia, taking advantage of their ability to fix nitrogen from the air into compounds that can then be used by other plants. A great many ferns are grown in horticulture as landscape plants, for cut foliage and as houseplants, especially the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). Several ferns are noxious weeds or invasive species, including Japanese climbing fern (Lygodium japonicum), mosquito fern and sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis). Giant water fern (Salvinia molesta) is one of the world's worst aquatic weeds. The important fossil fuel coal consists of the remains of primitive plants, including ferns. Species Azolla caroliniana Willd. ... Species Azolla caroliniana Willd. ... Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen is taken from its relatively inert molecular form (N2) in the atmosphere and converted into nitrogen compounds (such as, notably, ammonia, nitrate and nitrogen dioxide) [1] useful for other chemical processes. ... The Latin words hortus (garden plant) and cultura (culture) together form horticulture, classically defined as the culture or growing of garden plants. ... Greenery is generally used to describe any foliage of a plant, either live, freshly cut, or artificial. ... Golden Pothos, a typical potted houseplant A houseplant is usually a tropical or semi-tropical plant that is grown indoors in places such as residences and offices. ... Binomial name Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott Deltoid pinnae The Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) is a spreading plant is often grown in hanging baskets or similar conditions. ... A common weed flower A weed is a plant that is considered to be a nuisance in a garden or other agricultural development. ... Lantana Invasion of abandoned citrus plantation; Moshav Sdey Hemed, Israel; May 2, 2006 The term invasive species refers to a subset of those species defined as introduced species or non-indigenous species. ... Species Lygodium palmatum - American climbing fern Lygodium japonicum - Japanese climbing fern Lygodium microphyllum The Climbing Ferns are an unusual group of plants (Genus Lygodium) of tropical zones, with one temperate and one subtropical species. ... Binomial name Onoclea sensibilis L. The Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), also known as the Bead fern, is a course-textured, medium to large-sized perennial fern. ... Binomial name Salvinia molesta D.Mitch. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ...


Other ferns with some economic significance include:

  • Dryopteris filix-mas (male fern), used as a vermifuge
  • Rumohra adiantoides (floral fern), extensively used in the florist trade
  • Osmunda regalis (royal fern) and Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern), the root fiber being used horticulturally; the fiddleheads of O. cinnamomea are also used as a cooked vegetable
  • Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern), the fiddleheads used as a cooked vegetable in North America
  • Pteridium aquilinum (bracken), the fiddleheads used as a cooked vegetable in Japan and are believed to be responsible for the high rate of stomach cancer in Japan
  • Diplazium esculentum (vegetable fern), a source of food for some native societies
  • Pteris vittata (brake fern), used to absorb arsenic from the soil
  • Polypodium glycyrrhiza (licorice fern), roots chewed for their pleasant flavor
  • Tree ferns, used as building material in some tropical areas
  • Bracken fern, often poisons cattle and horses
  • Cyathea cooperi (Australian tree fern), an important invasive species in Hawaii
  • Dryopteris filix-mas, this fern accidentally sprouting in a bottle resulted in Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward's 1829 invention of the terrarium or Wardian case
  • Ceratopteris richardii, a model plant for teaching and research, often called C-fern

Binomial name Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott Dryopteris filix-mas (Common Male Fern or Male Fern) is one of the commonest ferns of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, occurring throughout much of Europe, Asia and North America. ... A vermifuge is a substance used for worming, or expelling intestinal worms, or, rather, macroinvertebrate parasites of the intestines. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Species See text Osmunda is a genus of primarily temperate-zone ferns of family Osmundaceae. ... Species See text Osmunda is a genus of primarily temperate-zone ferns of family Osmundaceae. ... Binomial name Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro The Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is a crown-forming, colony-forming fern, occurring in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in eastern and northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America. ... ğĬĭŎŏÜÜÜÜÜŪĕĞÜÅ Ŀ ŀ Binomial name Pteridium aquilinum Pteridium aquilinum is a species of fern. ... Binomial name Diplazium esculentum (Retz. ... Representative Species Pteris cretica Pteris ensiformis Pteris vittata Full List of Pteris species Brakes are ferns of the genus Pteris. ... General Name, Symbol, Number arsenic, As, 33 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 4, p Appearance metallic gray Atomic mass 74. ... Tree Fern refers to any fern that grows with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level. ... Species Pteridium aquilinum Pteridium caudatum Pteridium latiusculum and about 7-8 other species Brackens (Pteridium) are a genus of about ten species of large, coarse ferns, in the family Hypolepidaceae. ... Binomial name Cyathea cooperi Australian Tree Fern (Cyathea cooperi), also known as the Lacy Tree Fern, is a medium-to-large, fast growing tree fern native to Australia. ... Binomial name Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott Dryopteris filix-mas (Common Male Fern or Male Fern) is one of the commonest ferns of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, occurring throughout much of Europe, Asia and North America. ... The Wardian case, the direct forerunner of the modern terrarium (and the inspiration for the glass aquarium), was invented by Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791-1868), of London, in about 1829 after an accidental discovery inspired him. ... Genera Ceratopteris Parkeriaceae is a small fern family, including only a single genus, Ceratopteris (syn. ...

Cultural connotations

In Slavic folklore, ferns are believed to bloom once a year, during the Ivan Kupala night. Although it's exceedingly difficult to find, anyone who takes a look of a fern-flower will be happy and rich for the rest of his life. Similarly in Finland, the tradition holds that one who finds the seed of a fern in bloom on Midsummer night, will by the possession of it be able to travel under a glamour of invisibility and shall be guided to the locations where eternally blazing Will o' the wisps mark the spot of hidden treasure caches. Slavic mythology and Slavic religion evolved over more than 3,000 years. ... Ivan Kupala Day (Івана Купала, Ivana Kupala) is celebrated in Russia and Ukraine on 7 July. ... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... Midsummer celebration, Åmmeberg, Sweden Midsummer, also referred to as Litha by some Wiccans and other Neopagans, refers to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice and the religious celebrations that accompany it. ... The will o the wisp or ignis fatuus, or in plural form as ignes fatui (fools fire(s)) is the phenomenon of ghostly lights sometimes seen at night or in twilight hovering over damp ground in still air, often over bogs. ... Treasure is a concentration of riches, often that which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered. ...


Misunderstood names

Several non-fern plants are called "ferns" and are sometimes popularly believed to be ferns in error. These include:

  • "Asparagus fern" - This may apply to one of several species of the monocot genus Asparagus, which are flowering plants. A better name would be "fern asparagus".
  • "Sweetfern" - This is a shrub of the genus Comptonia.
  • "Air fern" - This is an unrelated aquatic animal that is related to a coral; it is harvested, dried, dyed green, then sold as plant that can "live on air". It looks like a fern but is actually a skeleton.

In addition, the book Where the Red Fern Grows has elicited many questions about the mythical "red fern" named in the book. There is no such known plant, although there has been speculation that the Oblique grape-fern, Sceptridium dissectum, could be referred to here, because it is known to appear on disturbed sites and its fronds may redden over the winter. Orders Base Monocots: Acorus Alismatales Asparagales Dioscoreales Liliales Pandanales Family Petrosaviaceae Commelinids: Arecales Commelinales Poales Zingiberales Family Dasypogonaceae The Monocotyledons or monocots are an extremely important group of flowering plants, dominating great parts of the earth and with many economically important plants. ... Binomial name Asparagus officinalis L. Asparagus is a type of vegetable obtained from one species within the genus Asparagus, specifically the young shoots of Asparagus officinalis. ... Binomial name Comptonia peregrina (L.) J.M.Coulter Comptonia is a genus of a single species, Comptonia peregrina, in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. ... Binomial name Sertularia argenta (Linnaeus, 1758) Air ferns (Sertularia argenta) are commonly sold as a curiosity or a decorative indoor plant, and as underwater decorations for aquaria in stores, and are labeled as air ferns. Air ferns do not grow, have any roots, or even have leaves, as they are... Bold text Where the Red Fern Grows is also a song from the debut album of the rock band Sonic Youth. ... Species Sceptridium dissectum Sceptridium multifidum Sceptridium rugulosum Sceptridium is a genus of seedless vascular plants, closely allied to (and previously often included in) the genus Botrychium (moonworts) and also closely related to the genus Botrypus (grape-ferns). ...


Gallery

Fern leaf, probably Blechnum nudum Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x880, 248 KB) Ferns (Blechnum nudum) in Nunniong, Australia File links The following pages link to this file: Plant Fern Embryophyte Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Tree of Life User talk:Tannin User:Fir0002/Fir0002 gallery Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/July 2005 ...

A tree fern unrolling a new frond An Australian tree fern growing on Oahu, Hawaii. ...

Tree fern, probably Dicksonia antarctica Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 605 KB) Ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) in Nunniong, Australia File links The following pages link to this file: Fern User:Fir0002/Fir0002 gallery Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/July 2005 ...

Tree ferns, probably Dicksonia antarctica Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1067, 846 KB) Ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) in Nunniong, Australia v File links The following pages link to this file: Fern User:Fir0002/Fir0002 gallery Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/July 2005 ...

"Filicinae" from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur, 1904 Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2396x3363, 2079 KB) Summary The 92nd plate from Ernst Haeckels Kunstformen der Natur (1904), depicting organisms classified as Filicinae. ... Ernst Haeckel. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kunstformen der Natur Kunstformen der Natur (Artforms of Nature) is a book of lithographic prints by German biologist Ernst Haeckel. ...

Unidentified tree fern in Oaxaca Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1100x1350, 416 KB) Tree fern in cloud forest above Valle Nacional (I think), en:Oaxaca, Mexico, May 2006. ... Oaxaca is the name of a city and a state in Mexico. ...

Tree Fern Spores San Diego, CA Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1500x1867, 627 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Fern ... City nickname:Americas Finest City County San Diego County, California Mayor Dick Murphy City Attorney Michael Aguirre City Council District One Scott Peters District Two Michael Zucchet District Three Toni Atkins District Four Tony Young District Five Brian Maienschein District Six Donna Frye Distirct Seven Jim Madaffer District Eight...

Leaf of fern Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1952x1470, 726 KB) Leaf of fern File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Fern Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner...

Unidentified fern with spores showing in Rotorua, NZ. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3039x2014, 2205 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Fern User:Antilived/Photo ... Rotorua is a city located on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. ...



References and external links


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