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 and other pteridophytes is called pteridology, and one who studies ferns and other pteridophytes is called a pteridologist. The term "pteridophyte" has traditionally been used to describe all seedless vascular plants, making it synonymous with "ferns and fern allies". This can be confusing since members of the fern phylum Pteridophyta are also sometimes referred to as pteridophytes. Note: This article contains special characters. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... For the Celtic language, see Southwestern Brythonic language; for the residents of the English county, see Devon. ... Image File history File links Polystichum_setiferum0. ... Binomial name Polystichum setiferum (Forssk. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... The cladoxylopsids are a group of plants known only as fossils that are thought to be ancestors of ferns and horsetails. ... Orders Psilotales Ophioglossales Psilotopsida is a class of fern-like plants. ... 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 Class Marattiopsida is a group of ferns containing a single order, Marattiales, and family, Marattiaceae. ... Classes Psilotopsida Equisetopsida Marattiopsida Polypodiopsida 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. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... 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 †Rhyniophyta †Zosterophyllophyta Lycopodiophyta †Trimerophytophyta Pteridophyta Superdivision Spermatophyta †Pteridospermatophyta Pinophyta Cycadophyta Ginkgophyta Gnetophyta Magnoliophyta Vascular plants (also known as tracheophytes or higher plants) are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. ... Fern ally is a general term covering a somewhat diverse group of vascular plants that are not flowering plants and not true ferns. ...

Life cycle

Ferns are vascular plants differing from the more primitive lycophytes by having true leaves (megaphylls), and they differ from seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) in their mode of reproduction - lacking flowers and seeds. Like all other vascular plants, they have a life cycle referred to as alternation of generations, characterized by a diploid sporophytic and a haploid gametophytic phase. Unlike the gymnosperms and angiosperms, the ferns' gametophyte is a free-living organism. The life cycle of a typical fern is as follows: Divisions Non-seed-bearing plants †Rhyniophyta †Zosterophyllophyta Lycopodiophyta †Trimerophytophyta Pteridophyta Superdivision Spermatophyta †Pteridospermatophyta Pinophyta Cycadophyta Ginkgophyta Gnetophyta Magnoliophyta Vascular plants (also known as tracheophytes or higher plants) are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. ... 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. ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The spermatophytes comprise those plants that produce seeds. ... Divisions Pinophyta (or Coniferophyta) - Conifers Ginkgophyta - Ginkgo Cycadophyta - Cycads Gnetophyta - Gnetum, Ephedra, Welwitschia Gymnosperm (Gymnospermae) are a group of spermatophyte seed-bearing plants with ovules on the edge or blade of an open sporophyll, which are usually arranged in cone-like structures. ... 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. ... Young sporophytes of the common moss Tortula muralis. ... 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).

Young sporophytes of the common moss Tortula muralis. ... 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 or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For the figure of speech, see meiosis (figure of speech). ... 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. ... For other uses, see Sperm (disambiguation). ... 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. ... For the insect anatomical structure, see Antenna (biology). ... For other meanings see Zygote (disambiguation). ...

Fern ecology

Ferns at Muir Woods, California

The popular image of ferns growing in moist shady woodland nooks, is far from being a complete picture of the habitats where ferns can be found growing. Fern species live in a wide variety of habitats, from remote mountain elevations, to dry desert rock faces, to bodies of water or in open fields. Ferns in general may be thought of as largely being specialists in marginal habitats, often succeeding in places where various environmental factors limit the success of flowering plants. Some ferns are among the world's most serious weed species, including the bracken fern growing in the British highlands, or the mosquito fern (Azolla) growing in tropical lakes, both species form large aggressively spreading colonies. There are four particular types of habitats that ferns are found in: moist, shady forests; crevices in rock faces, especially when sheltered from the full sun; acid wetlands including bogs and swamps; and tropical trees, where many species are epiphytes. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3504 × 2336 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3504 × 2336 pixel, file size: 3. ... Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Mountain (disambiguation). ... This article is about arid terrain. ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Species Pteridium aquilinum Pteridium caudatum Pteridium esculentum Pteridium latiusculum and about 6-7 other species For the Irish television soap opera, see Bracken (TV). ... Species Azolla caroliniana Willd. ... This article is about a community of trees. ... Lütt-Witt Moor, a bog in Henstedt-Ulzburg in northern Germany. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Many ferns depend on associations with mycorrhizal fungi. Many ferns only grow within specific pH ranges; for instance, the climbing fern (Lygodium) of eastern North America will only grow in moist, intensely acid soils, while the bulblet bladder fern (Cystopteris bulbifera), with an overlapping range, is only ever found on limestone. A mycorrhiza (typically seen in the plural form mycorrhizae meaning fungus roots) is a distinct type of root symbiosis in which individual hyphae extending from the mycelium of a fungus colonize the roots of a host plant. ... 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. ... North American redirects here. ... For other uses, see acid (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ...

Fern structure

Ferns at the Royal Melbourne Botanical Gardens

Tree ferns, probably Dicksonia antarctica, growing in Nunniong, Australia

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 three 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.
  • Brophophyll: A leaf that produces abnormally large amounts of spores. There leaves are also larger than the other leaves but bare a resemblance to trophopylls.
• 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: Stem showing internode and nodes plus leaf petiole and new stem rising from node. ... For other uses, see Rhizome (disambiguation). ... Silverweed (Argentina anserina) picture showing red stolons. ... 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. ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Green (disambiguation). ... Photosynthesis splits water to liberate O2 and fixes CO2 into sugar 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. ... For other uses, see Root (disambiguation). ... 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 prothallus 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.

One interesting difference between sporophytes and gametophytes might be summed up by the saying that "Nothing eats ferns, but everything eats gametophytes." This is an over-simplification, but it is true that gametophytes are often difficult to find in the field because they are far more likely to be food than are the sporophytes. 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. ... For the insect anatomical structure, see Antenna (biology). ... 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. ... For other uses, see Root (disambiguation). ...

Evolution and classification

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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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... President Bush- Deres gold in dem dere mines 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 ± 0. ... // The Cretaceous Period (pronounced ) 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. Molecular data - which remain poorly constrained for many parts of the plants' phylogeny - have been supplemented by recent morphological observations supporting the inclusion of Equisetaceae within the ferns, notably relating to the construction of their sperm, and peculiarities of their roots (Smith et al 2006, and references therein). Genera Botrychium Cheiroglossa Helminthostachys Mankyua Ophioglossum Ophioglossaceae , the Adders tongue family, is a family of ferns, currently thought to be most closely related to Psilotaceae, the two together comprising the class Psilotopsida as the sibling group to the rest of the ferns. ... 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. ... 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 †Rhyniophyta †Zosterophyllophyta Lycopodiophyta †Trimerophytophyta Pteridophyta Superdivision Spermatophyta †Pteridospermatophyta Pinophyta Cycadophyta Ginkgophyta Gnetophyta Magnoliophyta Vascular plants (also known as tracheophytes or higher plants) are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. ... 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.

The complete classification scheme proposed by Smith et al. (2006; alternative names in brackets):

• Class Psilotopsida
  • Order Ophioglossales
    • Family Ophioglossaceae (incl. Botrychiaceae, Helminthostachyaceae)
  • Order Psilotales
    • Family Psilotaceae (incl. Tmesipteridaceae)
• Class Equisetopsida [=Sphenopsida]
  • Order Equisetales
    • Family Equisetaceae
• Class Marattiopsida
  • Order Marattiales
    • Family Marattiaceae (incl. Angiopteridaceae, Christenseniaceae, Danaeaceae, Kaulfussiaceae)
• Class Pteridopsida [=Filicopsida, Polypodiopsida]
  • Order Osmundales
    • Family Osmundaceae
  • Order Hymenophyllales
    • Family Hymenophyllaceae (incl. Trichomanaceae)
  • Order Gleicheniales
    • Family Gleicheniaceae (incl. Dicranopteridaceae, Stromatopteridaceae)
    • Family Dipteridaceae (incl. Cheiropleuriaceae)
    • Family Matoniaceae
  • Order Schizaeales
    • Family Lygodiaceae
    • Family Anemiaceae (incl. Mohriaceae)
    • Family Schizaeaceae
  • Order Salviniales
    • Family Marsileaceae (incl. Pilulariaceae)
    • Family Salviniaceae (incl. Azollaceae)
  • Order Cyatheales
    • Family Thyrsopteridaceae
    • Family Loxomataceae
    • Family Culcitaceae
    • Family Plagiogyriaceae
    • Family Cibotiaceae
    • Family Cyatheaceae (incl. Alsophilaceae, Hymenophyllopsidaceae)
    • Family Dicksoniaceae (incl. Lophosoriaceae)
    • Family Metaxyaceae
  • Order Polypodiales
    • Family Lindsaeaceae (incl. Cystodiaceae, Lonchitidaceae)
    • Family Saccolomataceae
    • Family Dennstaedtiaceae (incl. Hypolepidaceae, Monachosoraceae, Pteridiaceae)
    • Family Pteridaceae (incl. Acrostichaceae, Actiniopteridaceae, Adiantaceae, Anopteraceae, Antrophyaceae, Ceratopteridaceae, Cheilanthaceae, Cryptogrammaceae, Hemionitidaceae, Negripteridaceae, Parkeriaceae, Platyzomataceae, Sinopteridaceae, Taenitidaceae, Vittariaceae)
    • Family Aspleniaceae
    • Family Thelypteridaceae
    • Family Woodsiaceae (incl. Athyriaceae, Cystopteridaceae)
    • Family Blechnaceae (incl. Stenochlaenaceae)
    • Family Onocleaceae
    • Family Dryopteridaceae (incl. Aspidiaceae, Bolbitidaceae, Elaphoglossaceae, Hypodematiaceae, Peranemataceae)
    • Family Oleandraceae
    • Family Davalliaceae
    • Family Polypodiaceae (incl. Drynariaceae, Grammitidaceae, Gymnogrammitidaceae, Loxogrammaceae, Platyceriaceae, Pleurisoriopsidaceae)

Orders Psilotales Ophioglossales Psilotopsida is a class of fern-like plants. ... Families and Genera Family Ophioglossaceae Ophioglossum Cheiroglossa Family Botrychiaceae Botrychium Botrypus Sceptridium Family Helminthostachiaceae Helminthostachys zeylanica The Ophioglossophyta (lit. ... Genera Botrychium Cheiroglossa Helminthostachys Mankyua Ophioglossum Ophioglossaceae , the Adders tongue family, is a family of ferns, currently thought to be most closely related to Psilotaceae, the two together comprising the class Psilotopsida as the sibling group to the rest of the ferns. ... 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. ... Genera Psilotum Tmesipteris Psilotaceae is a family of fern-like plants consisting of two genera, Psilotum and Tmesipteris. ... 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 Class Marattiopsida is a group of ferns containing a single order, Marattiales, and family, Marattiaceae. ... 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. ... Subclasses Subclass: Cyatheatae Subclass: Schizaeatae Subclass: Pteriditae Subclass: Polypoditae The Pteridopsida is a class of plants in the Division Pteridophyta that includes the modern ferns. ... 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. ... 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. ... Families Schizaeaeceae Anemiaceae Lygodiaceae Schizaeales is an order of fern (class Pteridopsida). ... 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. ... Families Azollaceae (mosquito ferns) Marsileaceae (water-clovers, pillworts) Salviniaceae (water-spangles) The order Salviniales (formerly known as the Hydropteridales and including the former Marsileales) is an order of ferns in the Division Pteridophyta. ... 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. ... Binomial name Thyrsopteris is a predominant plant genus in the Juan Fernandez Archipelago. ... 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 Vittaria Haplopteris Vittariaceae is a family of ferns in the order Pteridales. ... 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. ... Woodsiaceae or Cliff Fern is a family of fern within the Athyriales order. ... 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. ... 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... Adenophorus is a genus of ferns in the plant family Grammitidaceae. ...

Economic uses

Ferns are not as important economically as seed plants but have considerable importance. Some ferns are used for food, including the fiddleheads of bracken, Pteridium aquilinum, ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris, and cinnamon fern, Osmunda cinnamomea]. Diplazium esculentum is also used by some tropical peoples as food. Species Pteridium aquilinum Pteridium caudatum Pteridium esculentum Pteridium latiusculum and about 6-7 other species For the Irish television soap opera, see Bracken (TV). ... Binomial name Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro The Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is a crown-forming, colony-forming fern, occurring in northern regions worldwide, and in northern/central North America. ... Binomial name Osmunda cinnamomea L. Osmunda cinnamomea (Cinnamon Fern) is a species of fern in the genus Osmunda. ... Binomial name Diplazium esculentum (Retz. ...

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. Species Azolla caroliniana Willd. ... Species Azolla caroliniana Willd. ... Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen is taken from its natural, 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. ...

A great many ferns are grown in horticulture as landscape plants, for cut foliage and as houseplants, especially the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). The Bird's Nest Fern, Asplenium nidus, is also popular, and the staghorn ferns, genus Platycerium, have a considerable following. Horticulture (Latin: hortus (garden plant) + cultura (culture)) are 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. ... 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. ... Birds Nest Fern is a common name applied to several related species of ferns in the genus Asplenium, of which the best-known species is Asplenium nidus; others include Asplenium australasicum and Asplenium serratum. ...

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. Yellow starthistle, a thistle native to southern Europe and the Middle East that is an invasive weed in parts of North America. ... Lantana invasion of abandoned citrus plantation; Moshav Sdey Hemed, Israel The term invasive species refers to a subset of introduced species or non-indigenous species that are rapidly expanding outside of their native range. ... 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 coarse-textured, medium to large-sized perennial fern. ... Binomial name Salvinia molesta D.Mitch. ... Coal Example chemical structure of coal Coal is a fossil fuel formed in ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ...

Other ferns with some economic significance include:

• Dryopteris filix-mas (male fern), used as a vermifuge, and formerly in the US Pharmacopeia; also, this fern accidentally sprouting in a bottle resulted in Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward's 1829 invention of the terrarium or Wardian case
• 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. It is also one of the world's most important agricultural weeds, especially in the British highlands, and often poisons cattle and horses.
• 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
• Cyathea cooperi (Australian tree fern), an important invasive species in Hawaii
• 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. ... 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. ... A vase arrangement of Tulips Floristry, flower arranging, floral arrangement, floral design or floral arts is the art of creating flower arrangements in vases, bowls and baskets, or making bouquets and compositions from cut flowers, foliage, herbs, ornamental grasses and other botanical materials. ... 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 Standard atomic weight 74. ... Tree Fern refers to any fern that grows with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level. ... 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. ... Genera Ceratopteris Parkeriaceae is a small fern family, including only a single genus, Ceratopteris (syn. ...

Cultural connotations

Blätter des Manns Walfarn. by Alois Auer, Vienna: Imperial Printing Office, 1853

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^{[citation needed]}. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 441 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (863 × 1174 pixels, file size: 280 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 441 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (863 × 1174 pixels, file size: 280 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... Alois Auer, born 1813 in Wels, Austria, died 11 June 1869; was a printer, inventor and botanical illustrator, most active during the 1840s and 1850s. ... 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. ... The fern flower is a magic flower in Slavic mythology (Polish: , Russian: ) and Baltic mythology (e. ... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... Midsummer may refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice and the diverse celebrations of it around the world, but more often refers to European celebrations that accompany the summer solstice, or to Western festivals that take place in June and are usually related to Saint John... For other uses, see Will-o-the-wisp (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Treasure (disambiguation). ...

Ferns were popular as a decorative motif in Victorian England, the designs frequently appeared on crockery, glassware, cast iron objects, and textiles. The fashion for growing ferns indoors led to the development of the Wardian case, a glazed cabinet that would exclude air pollutants and maintain the necessary humidity. The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... 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. ...

Fractal fern created using chaos game, through an Iterated function system (IFS).

The dried form of ferns was also used in other arts, being used a stencil or directly inked for use in a design. The botanical work, The Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland, is a notable example of this type of nature printing. The process, patented by the artist and publisher Henry Bradbury, impressed a specimen on to a soft lead plate. The first publication to demonstrate this was Alois Auer's The Discovery of the Nature Printing-Process. The boundary of the Mandelbrot set is a famous example of a fractal. ... The chaos game or chaosgame is a means of creating a fractal, using a polygon and a random point inside it. ... Menger sponge, created by using IFS. Iterated function systems or IFSs, are a kind of fractal which were conceived in their present form by John Hutchinson in 1981 and popularized by Michael Barnsleys book Fractals Everywhere. ... Plate 1 of the title Polypodium vulgare The Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland was a book published in 1855 that featured 51 plates of nature printing by Henry Bradbury. ... Plate from The Nature-printed British Sea-weeds, (1859-60). ... Alois Auer, born 1813 in Wels, Austria, died 11 June 1869; was a printer, inventor and botanical illustrator, most active during the 1840s and 1850s. ...

Misunderstood names

Several non-fern plants are called "ferns" and are sometimes confused with true ferns. These include:

• "Asparagus fern" - This may apply to one of several species of the monocot genus Asparagus, which are flowering plants.
• "Sweetfern" - A flowering shrub of the genus Comptonia.
• "Air fern" - A group of animals called hydrozoan that are distantly related to jellyfish and corals. They are harvested, dried, dyed green, and then sold as a "plant" that can "live on air". While it may look like a fern, it is merely the skeleton of this colonial animal.

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. Hemerocallis flower, with three flower parts in each whorl Wheat, an economically important monocot The monocotyledons or Monocots are a group of flowering plants, (angiosperms) dominating great parts of the earth. ... For the botanical genus, see Asparagus (genus). ... Binomial name (L.) J.M.Coulter Synonyms Comptonia aspleniifolia (L.) LHér. ... 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... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Subclasses Anthomedusae Laingiomedusae Leptomedusae Limnomedusae Siphonophorae Actinulidae Narcomedusae Trachymedusae Polypodiozoa Organisms of the Class Hydrozoa belong to the phylum Cnidaria. ... For other uses, see Jellyfish (disambiguation). ... Extant Subclasses and Orders Alcyonaria    Alcyonacea    Helioporacea Zoantharia    Antipatharia    Corallimorpharia    Scleractinia    Zoanthidea [1][2]  See Anthozoa for details For other uses, see Coral (disambiguation). ... This is a biological article: For a territory administered by another territory see: Colony For a group attempting to affiliate with a Fraternity or Sorority see: Colony (fraternity) In biology, a colony (from Latin colonia) refers to several individual organisms of the same species living closely together, usually for mutual... For the song in the album by Sonic Youth, see Sonic Youth (album). ... 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. ... The 8th print, Discomedusae. ...	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 ... The Rotorua Museum today. ...	Ferns in one of many natural Coast Redwood undergrowth settings Santa Cruz, CA. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixel Image in higher resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 1. ... This article is about the species commonly called Coast Redwood. For the species commonly called Giant Sequoia, see Sequoiadendron. ... Downtown Santa Cruz Santa Cruz is the county seat of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. ...	Nature prints in The Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland used fronds to produce the plates Image File history File links Size of this preview: 411 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1716 × 2500 pixels, file size: 1. ... Plate from The Nature-printed British Sea-weeds, (1859-60). ... Plate 1 of the title Polypodium vulgare The Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland was a book published in 1855 that featured 51 plates of nature printing by Henry Bradbury. ...

See also

• Fern spike

In paleontology, a fern spike is the occurrence of abundant fern spores in the fossil record, usually immediately (in a geological sense) after an extinction event. ...

References

• Pryer, Kathleen M., Harald Schneider, Alan R. Smith, Raymond Cranfill, Paul G. Wolf, Jeffrey S. Hunt and Sedonia D. Sipes. 2001. Horsetails and ferns are a monophyletic group and the closest living relatives to seed plants. Nature 409: 618-622 (abstract here).
• Pryer, Kathleen M., Eric Schuettpelz, Paul G. Wolf, Harald Schneider, Alan R. Smith and Raymond Cranfill. 2004. Phylogeny and evolution of ferns (monilophytes) with a focus on the early leptosporangiate divergences. American Journal of Botany 91:1582-1598 (online abstract here).
• Moran, Robbin C. (2004). A Natural History of Ferns. Portland, OR: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-667-1.
• Lord, Thomas R. (2006). Ferns and Fern Allies of Pennsylvania. Indiana, PA: Pinelands Press. [1]
• Smith, A. R., K. M. Pryer, E. Schuettpelz, P. Korall, H. Schneider & P. G. Wolf. 2006. A classification for extant ferns. Taxon 55(3):705–731.online available
• Boyd, Peter D. A. (2002-01-02). "Pteridomania - the Victorian passion for ferns". Revised: web version. Antique Collecting 28, 6, 9-12.. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.

Wattieza was a group of extinct, prehistoric fern-like plants. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikispecies has information related to:

Pteridophyta

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Pteridophyta

• Tree of Life Web Project: Filicopsida
• A classification of the ferns and their allies
• A fern book bibliography
• Register of fossil Pteridophyta
• L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (2004 onwards). The Ferns (Filicopsida) of the British Isles.
• Ferns and Pteridomania in Victorian Scotland
• Non-seed plant images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
• Ferns in detail, an online book
• "American Fern Society"

Image File history File links Wikispecies-logo. ... Wikispecies is a wiki-based online project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation that aims to create a comprehensive free content catalogue of all species (including animalia, plantae, fungi, bacteria, archaea, and protista). ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

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Pinguicula grandiflora commonly known as a Butterwort Example of a cross section of a stem [1] Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Ethnobotany is the study of the relationship between plants and people: Fromethno - study of people and botany - study of plants. ... Paleobotany (from the Greek words paleon = old and botanikos = of herbs) is the branch of paleontology dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use in the reconstruction of past environments and the history of life. ... Plant anatomy or phytotomy is the general term for the study of the structure of plants. ... For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ... Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) refers to the study of developmental programs and patterns from an evolutionary perspective. ... Plant anatomy or phytotomy is the general term for the study of the structure of plants. ... A germination rate experiment Plant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the function, or physiology, of plants. ... Download high resolution version (454x765, 178 KB)Coconut Palm on Martinique. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Plant evolution is an aspect of the study of biological evolution, involving predominantly the evolution of plants suited to live on land, the greening of the various land masses by the filling of their niches with land plants, and the diversification of the groups of land plants. ... Osborne (talk) 20:17, 5 December 2007 (UTC):For the programming language, see algae (programming language) Laurencia, a marine red alga from Hawaii. ... The bryophytes are those embryophytes (land plants) that are non-vascular: they have tissues and enclosed reproductive systems, but they lack vascular tissue that circulates liquids. ... Classes Marattiopsida Osmundopsida Gleicheniopsida Pteridopsida A fern, or pteridophyte, is any one of a group of some twenty thousand species of plants classified in the Division Pteridophyta, formerly known as Filicophyta. ... Divisions Pinophyta (or Coniferophyta) - Conifers Ginkgophyta - Ginkgo Cycadophyta - Cycads Gnetophyta - Gnetum, Ephedra, Welwitschia Gymnosperm (Gymnospermae) are a group of spermatophyte seed-bearing plants with ovules on the edge or blade of an open sporophyll, which are usually arranged in cone-like structures. ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... For other uses, see Flower (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Tunica-Corpus model of the apical meristem. ... For other uses, see Root (disambiguation). ... Stem showing internode and nodes plus leaf petiole and new stem rising from node. ... Stoma of a leaf under a microscope. ... Cross section of celery stalk, showing vascular bundles, which include both phloem and xylem. ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... Plant cell structure Plant cells are eukaryotic cells that differ in several key respects from the cells of other eukaryotic organisms. ... Plant cells separated by transparent cell walls. ... Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. ... Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and eukaryotic algae that conduct photosynthesis. ... Photosynthesis splits water to liberate O2 and fixes CO2 into sugar The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants. ... Plant hormones (also known as plant growth regulators (PGRs) and phytohormones) are chemicals that regulate a plants growth. ... Plant cells with visible chloroplasts. ... Transpiration is the evaporation of excess water from aerial parts and of plants, especially leaves but also stems, flowers and fruits. ... Sporic or diplohaplontic life cycle. ... 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. ... Close-up of an Echinopsis spachiana flower, showing both carpels and stamen, making it a complete flower. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), prairie hollyhock (Sidalcea malviflora), oriental lily (Lilium auratum), evening primrose (Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ... Carpenter bee with pollen collected from Night-blooming cereus Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (containing the male gametes, sperm) to the plant carpel of flowering plants, the structure that contains the ovule (which in turn houses the female gamete... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Young sporophytes of the common moss Tortula muralis. ... Plant taxonomy is the science that finds, describes, classifies and names plants. ... A botanical name is a formal name conforming to the ICBN. As with its zoological and bacterial equivalents it may also be called a scientific name. Botanical names may be in one part (genus and above), two parts (species) or three parts (below the rank of species). ... Botanical nomenclature Plants are given formal names, governed by the ICBN. Within the limits set by the ICBN there is a separate set of rules, the ICNCP, for those plants in cultivation that require separate recognition, so-called cultivars. ... In Botany, a herbarium is a collection of preserved plants or plant parts, mainly in a dried form. ... The International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) is devoted to plant systematics, taxonomy and nomenclature. ... The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) is the set of rules that governs plant nomenclature, i. ... Writing the Species Plantarum was one of Carolus Linnaeus two great contributions to the Scientific community. ...