Fern ally is a general term covering a somewhat diverse group of vascular plants that are not flowering plants and not true ferns. Like ferns, these plants reproduce by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations. There are three or four groups of plants considered to be fern allies. In various classification schemes, these may be grouped as classes or divisions within the plant kingdom. The more traditional classification scheme is as follows (here, the first three classes are the "fern allies"): 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. ... It has been suggested that Angiospermae, and Anthophyta be merged into this article or section. ... Classes Psilotopsida Equisetopsida Marattiopsida Pteridopsida (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. ... This article is about a biological reproductive structure; for the video game, see Spore (video game). ... Sporic or diplohaplontic life cycle. ...

• Kingdom: Plantae
  • Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)
    • Class Lycopsida, (fern-allies) the clubmosses and related plants
    • Class Sphenopsida or Equisetopsida, (fern-allies) the horsetails and scouring-rushes
    • Class Psilopsida, (fern-allies) the whisk ferns
    • Class Filices, the true ferns
    • Class Spermatopsida (or sometimes as several different classes of seed-bearing plants)

A more modern or newer classification scheme is: Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... 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 (sometimes called Lycophyta) is a tracheophyte subdivision of the Kingdom Plantae. ... Families Lycopodiaceae Huperziaceae The Class Lycopodiopsida includes the clubmosses. ... Classes Equisetopsida The division Equisetophyta is a taxon in the kingdom Plantae containing primitive land plants. ... Species The horsetails are vascular plants, comprising 15 species of plants in the genus Equisetum. ... Species Psilotum nudum (L.) Beauvois - Whisk Fern Psilotum complanatum Sw. ... Species Psilotum nudum (L.) Beauvois - Whisk Fern Psilotum complanatum Sw. ... Classes Psilotopsida Equisetopsida Marattiopsida Pteridopsida (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. ... The spermatophytes comprise those plants that produce seeds. ...

• Kingdom Plantae
  Subkingdom Tracheobionta
  • Division Lycopodiophyta
    • Class Lycopodiopsida, the clubmosses
    • Class Selaginellopsida, the spikemosses
    • Class Isoetopsida, the quillworts
  • Division Equisetophyta, the horsetails and scouring-rushes
  • Division Psilotophyta, the whisk ferns
  • Division Ophioglossophyta, the adders'-tongues and moonworts
  • Division Pteridophyta, the ferns
  • Division Spermatophyta (or as several different divisions of seed-bearing plants)

Note that in either scheme, the basic subdivision of the fern allies is preserved, with the exception that the Ophioglossophyta (Ophioglossopsida), once thought to be true ferns, are now generally regarded by many to be a distinct group of fern allies. Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... 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 (sometimes called Lycophyta) is a tracheophyte subdivision of the Kingdom Plantae. ... 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 Equisetopsida The division Equisetophyta is a taxon in the kingdom Plantae containing primitive land plants. ... Species The horsetails are vascular plants, comprising 15 species of plants in the genus Equisetum. ... Families Psilotaceae Tmesipteridaceae Psilotophyta (the whisk ferns; also sometimes as Psilophyta) is a division (i. ... Species Psilotum nudum (L.) Beauvois - Whisk Fern Psilotum complanatum Sw. ... Families and Genera Family Ophioglossaceae Ophioglossum Cheiroglossa Family Botrychiaceae Botrychium Botrypus Sceptridium Family Helminthostachiaceae Helminthostachys zeylanica The Ophioglossophyta are a small group of 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. ... Classes Psilotopsida Equisetopsida Marattiopsida Pteridopsida (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. ... The spermatophytes comprise those plants that produce seeds. ... Families and Genera Family Ophioglossaceae Ophioglossum Cheiroglossa Family Botrychiaceae Botrychium Botrypus Sceptridium Family Helminthostachiaceae Helminthostachys zeylanica The Ophioglossophyta are a small group of plants. ...

Another way of looking at it is:

Several 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. (Traditionally, three discrete groups of plants had been considered ferns: the adders-tongues, moonworts, and grape-ferns (Ophioglossophyta), the 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.) 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. ... A clade is a term belonging to the discipline of cladistics. ... Classes Psilotopsida Equisetopsida Marattiopsida Pteridopsida (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. ... 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). ... Families and Genera Family Ophioglossaceae Ophioglossum Cheiroglossa Family Botrychiaceae Botrychium Botrypus Sceptridium Family Helminthostachiaceae Helminthostachys zeylanica The Ophioglossophyta are a small group of plants. ... Orders Marattiales Class Marattiopsida is a group of ferns containing a single order, Marattiales, and family, Marattiaceae. ... A sporangium (pl. ...

External links

• Common Ferns and Fern-Ally Species
• A Classification of the Ferns and Fern-Allies (uses frames)
• Non-seed plant images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
• Lord, Thomas R. (2006). Ferns and Fern Allies of Pennsylvania. Indiana, PA: Pinelands Press [1]