Subordinate Taxa
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Polypodiopsida
Synonymy:
- = Filicopsida
Key
Key to families of ferns and lycophytes
| Aquatic plants | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plants aquatic | 2 |
| Plants terrestrial or epiphytic | 4 | |
| 2 | Plants free-floating on water surface | Salviniaceae |
| Plants rooted to bottom of lake or pond | 3 | |
| 3 | Rhizomes long-creeping; sporangia borne in round, stalked capsules attached at base of leaves | Marsileaceae |
| Rhizomes erect; sporangia borne in swollen bases of leaves | Isoetaceae | |
| Lycophytes, horsetails, and fork ferns | ||
| 4 | Leaves or leaf-like structures arising from aerial stems, each with a single unbranched vein, <45 mm long; sporangia usually borne on adaxial surface of leaves, often in cones, or rarely on adaxial edge of forked leaves (Tmesipteris) | 5 |
| Leaves or fronds arising from erect or creeping rhizomes, each with branching veins, usually >45 mm long, often much more (up to 4 m long); sporangia borne on margins or abaxial surfaces of fronds, never in cones | 9 | |
| 5 | Branches arising in whorls at nodes along the stem; leaves fused laterally, forming rings at nodes along the stem | Equisetaceae |
| Branches and leaves not in whorls and rings along the stem | 6 | |
| 6 | Sporangia fused in pairs on the adaxial edges of forked leaf-like structures, or in clusters of three on adaxial surface of tiny veinless scales; cones absent | Psilotaceae |
| Sporangia produced singly on adaxial surfaces of leaves, usually in distinct cones (except Huperzia) | 7 | |
| 7 | Plants terrestrial, upright, stem <50 mm long, with an underground tuber; cones single and terminal on a leafless stalk; leaves 7–20 mm long, forming a basal rosette | Lycopodiaceae |
| Plants scrambling, climbing or epiphytic; or, if terrestrial and upright, stem >50 mm long, lacking an underground tuber; cones sessile or on leafy stalks, or rarely absent; leaves borne on elongated stems | 8 | |
| 8 | Leaves herbaceous, ovate or elliptic; cones inconspicuous | Selaginellaceae |
| Leaves coriaceous, ± linear or narrowly ovate or narrowly triangular; cones conspicuous, or rarely absent (Huperzia) | Lycopodiaceae | |
| Adder’s tongue and parsley ferns | ||
| 9 | Stipe branching into two, one branch bearing a sterile lamina and the other bearing sporangia on a branched or unbranched stalk | Ophioglossaceae |
| Stipe undivided, or, if dichotomously branched, the branches not markedly different to each other | 10 | |
| Dimorphic ferns | ||
| 10 | Plants bearing dimorphic fertile and sterile fronds, or fertile fronds with dimorphic fertile and sterile pinnae | 11 |
| Plants bearing monomorphic fertile and sterile fronds, or fertile fronds with monomorphic fertile and sterile pinnae | 18 | |
| 11 | Costae of sterile pinnae branching dichotomously | 12 |
| Costae of sterile pinnae unbranched in pinnate fronds, or branching pinnately in more divided fronds | 13 | |
| 12 | Fertile fronds with dimorphic fertile and sterile pinna segments on same frond; high-climbing ferns | Lygodiaceae |
| Fertile fronds with similar fertile and sterile pinna segments, but aerial fertile fronds markedly different to sterile basal ‘nest’ fronds; epiphytic perching ferns | Polypodiaceae | |
| 13 | Laminae bearing bulbils | Aspleniaceae |
| Laminae lacking bulbils | 14 | |
| 14 | Fertile and sterile pinnae dimorphic, borne on same frond | 15 |
| Fertile and sterile fronds dimorphic; fertile and sterile pinnae not borne on same frond | 16 | |
| 15 | Sporangia confined to proximal pair of skeletonised fertile pinnae that are borne on long stalks | Anemiaceae |
| Sporangia confined to distal portion of frond; fertile pinnae lacking long stalks | Osmundaceae | |
| 16 | Fertile fronds 1-pinnate | Blechnaceae |
| Fertile fronds at least 2-pinnate | 17 | |
| 17 | Fronds borne on short, slender, erect trunk; rachis with a jagged wing; fertile secondary pinnae flattened, ± oblong | Blechnaceae |
| Fronds borne on creeping rhizome; rachis lacking a jagged wing; fertile secondary pinnae rounded and bead-like | Onocleaceae | |
| Comb ferns | ||
| 18 | Stipe many times longer than fertile lamina, often dichotomously branched and sometimes flattened | Schizaeaceae |
| Stipe shorter or of similar length to fertile lamina, never dichotomously branched or flattened | 19 | |
| Ferns with rachis branching dichotomously | ||
| 19 | Lamina with the rachis branching dichotomously | 20 |
| Lamina entire, lobed, forked once, or branching pinnately | 21 | |
| 20 | Buds absent at each rachis dichotomy; sori protected by reflexed lamina flaps | Pteridaceae |
| Buds present at each rachis dichotomy; sori unprotected | Gleicheniaceae | |
| Ferns with sporangia fused into a synangium | ||
| 21 | Midribs of primary pinnae markedly swollen at junction with rachis; sporangia fused together in two rows into a synangium opening by a longitudinal vertical split | Marattiaceae |
| Midribs of primary pinnae not swollen at junction with rachis; sporangia not fused together, opening individually | 22 | |
| Ferns with sori on the lamina margin | ||
| 22 | Sori situated at, or protruding from, the lamina margin | 23 |
| Sori situated on abaxial lamina surface, away from lamina margin | 33 | |
| Ferns with sori on the lamina margin | ||
| a) protected by cup-shaped or tubular indusia protruding from margin | ||
| 23 | Sporangia borne on a short stalk protruding from the lamina margin within a two-flapped or tubular indusium | 24 |
| Sporangia arranged in sori on the abaxial lamina surface, not protruding from margin in a two-flapped or tubular indusum | 25 | |
| 24 | Lamina very thin and translucent (filmy ferns) but sometimes obscured by dense covering of hairs | Hymenophyllaceae |
| Lamina coriaceous and opaque, ± glabrous | Loxsomataceae | |
| Ferns with sori on the lamina margin | ||
| b) on abaxial surface, not projecting from margin | ||
| 25 | Sori protected by indusia opening away from centre of lamina segment | 26 |
| Sori unprotected, or protected by inrolled lamina margin, or by cup-shaped indusia, or by membranous indusia opening towards centre of lamina segment | 29 | |
| 26 | Sori enclosed in pouched indusia attached to the abaxial lamina surface on three sides; rhizomes thick, long-creeping, densely scaly | Davalliaceae |
| Sori round, ovate or elongated along the lamina margin, not confined to pouched indusia; rhizomes erect, or if creeping, either lacking scales, or thin and scaly | 27 | |
| 27 | Rhizomes erect; fronds bearing clathrate (latticed) scales | Aspleniaceae |
| Rhizomes short- to long-creeping; fronds glabrous or hairy, not scaly | 28 | |
| 28 | Lamina ± glabrous; sori elongated along lamina margin; rhizomes short- to long-creeping, scaly | Lindsaeaceae |
| Lamina hairy; sori round or ovate; rhizomes long-creeping, hairy | Dennstaedtiaceae | |
| 29 | Sori protected by inrolled lamina flap and membranous inner indusium; plants usually with tall woody trunks | Dicksoniaceae |
| Sori unprotected, or protected only by small, inrolled lamina flaps, or by the inrolled lamina margin, or by cup-shaped indusia; rhizomes erect or creeping, not forming tall woody trunks | 30 | |
| 30 | Veins reticulate | 31 |
| Veins free | 32 | |
| 31 | Lamina glabrous; abaxial surface usually glaucous; primary pinnae sessile | Dennstaedtiaceae |
| Lamina sparsely scaly; abaxial surface green; primary pinnae stalked | Pteridaceae | |
| 32 | Rhizomes scaly; fronds scaly, especially on stipe bases | Pteridaceae |
| Rhizomes hairy; fronds never scaly | Dennstaedtiaceae | |
| Ferns not forming discrete sori | ||
| 33 | Sporangia not in discrete sori, spread over much of abaxial pinna surface | 34 |
| Sporangia in discrete sori that are round, ovate or elongated along veins | 36 | |
| 34 | Lamina densely covered in woolly hairs | Aspleniaceae |
| Lamina glabrous or bearing acicular hairs | 35 | |
| 35 | Fronds <150 mm long | Pteridaceae |
| Fronds >150 mm long | Osmundaceae | |
| Ferns with discrete sori away from lamina margin | ||
| a) elongated along veins at an angle to costa | ||
| 36 | Sori elongated along veins | 37 |
| Sori round, ovate or elongated parallel to the midrib | 40 | |
| 37 | Sori extending along the mid-vein of each pinna segment; lamina glabrous; rhizomes hairy but not scaly | Pteridaceae |
| Sori elongated along veins at an angle to the midrib; lamina usually hairy and/or scaly; rhizomes scaly | 38 | |
| 38 | Laminae <20 mm wide; indusia absent; spores green | Polypodiaceae |
| Laminae >20 mm wide; indusia present; spores brown | 39 | |
| 39 | Scales clathrate (latticed); free margin of indusium entire, though sometimes curved | Aspleniaceae |
| Scales non-clathrate; free margin of indusium often laciniate or toothed | Athyriaceae | |
| Ferns with discrete sori away from lamina margin | ||
| b) elongated parallel to costa | ||
| 40 | Fronds often red-tinged; sori clearly oblong, in rows parallel to midrib | Blechnaceae |
| Fronds not red-tinged; sori round, ovate, or slightly elongated at an angle to the midrib | 41 | |
| Ferns with discrete sori away from lamina margin | ||
| c) round or ovate, lacking indusia | ||
| 41 | Indusia absent | 42 |
| Indusia round or reniform | 47 | |
| 42 | Fertile fronds entire | Polypodiaceae |
| Fertile fronds lobed, pinnatifid, pinnatisect, pinnate, or more divided | 43 | |
| 43 | Primary pinnae or pinna lobes adnate to rachis | Polypodiaceae |
| Primary pinnae joined to rachis by distinct stalks | 44 | |
| 44 | Fronds 1-pinnate; rhizomes long-creeping or climbing; stipes jointed and swollen at their bases | Tectariaceae |
| Fronds at least 1-pinnate-pinnatifid; rhizomes erect; stipes not jointed and swollen at their bases | 45 | |
| 45 | Fronds 1-pinnate-pinnatifid | Thelypteridaceae |
| Fronds at least 2-pinnate | 46 | |
| 46 | Long hairs present in sorus | Cyatheaceae |
| Hairs absent from sorus | Dryopteridaceae | |
| Ferns with discrete sori away from lamina margin | ||
| d) round or ovate, with round or reniform indusia | ||
| 47 | Fertile frond 1-pinnate | 48 |
| Fertile frond 1-pinnate-pinnatifid or more divided | 49 | |
| 48 | Sori in one row either side of midrib, closer to margin than midrib | Nephrolepidaceae |
| Sori in two or more rows either side of midrib, with at least some sori closer to midrib than margin | Dryopteridaceae | |
| 49 | Fronds bearing very scattered scales and/or hairs; indusia ovate | Cystopteridaceae |
| Fronds usually bearing abundant scales and/or hairs; indusia round or reniform | 50 | |
| 50 | Fertile frond 1-pinnate-pinnatifid | 51 |
| Fertile frond at least 2-pinnate | 52 | |
| 51 | Rachis bearing a prominent bulbil near the apex | Dryopteridaceae |
| Rachis lacking bulbils | Thelypteridaceae | |
| 52 | Plants with tall, woody trunks (tree ferns) | Cyatheaceae |
| Plants lacking tall, woody trunks | 53 | |
| 53 | Indusia absent, long hairs present in sori | Cyatheaceae |
| Indusia present, or if absent, long hairs absent from sori | 54 | |
| 54 | Lamina densely covered in hairs 1–2 mm long, scales virtually absent; indusia <0.4 mm in diameter, reniform | Thelypteridaceae |
| Lamina lacking hairs, or hairs <1 mm long, often abundantly scaly; indusia >0.4 mm in diameter, round or reniform | Dryopteridaceae | |
Key to genera of ferns and lycophytes
| Aquatic plants | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plants aquatic | 2 |
| Plants terrestrial or epiphytic | 6 | |
| 2 | Plants rooted to bottom of lake or pond | 3 |
| Plants free-floating on water surface | 5 | |
| 3 | Leaves terminated by four ± equal fan-shaped segments | Marsilea |
| Leaves stalk-like, lacking flattened segments | 4 | |
| 4 | Rhizomes long-creeping; sporangia borne in round, stalked capsules attached at base of leaves | Pilularia |
| Rhizomes erect; sporangia borne in swollen bases of leaves | Isoetes | |
| 5 | Leaves >10 mm long, green, covered in looped hairs | Salvinia |
| Leaves c. 1 mm long, red or red-tinged (or rarely green), lacking looped hairs | Azolla | |
| Lycophytes, horsetails, and fork ferns | ||
| 6 | Leaves or leaf-like structures arising from aerial stems, each with a single unbranched vein, <45 mm long; sporangia usually borne on adaxial surface of leaves, often in cones, or rarely on adaxial edge of forked leaves (Tmesipteris) | 7 |
| Leaves or fronds arising from erect or creeping rhizomes, each with branching veins, usually >45 mm long, often much more (up to 4 m long); sporangia borne on margins or abaxial surfaces of fronds, never in cones | 16 | |
| 7 | Branches arising in whorls at nodes along the stem; leaves fused laterally, forming rings at nodes along the stem | Equisetum |
| Branches and leaves not in whorls and rings along the stem | 8 | |
| 8 | Stems markedly angled; leaves reduced to tiny scales lacking veins; sporangia fused in clusters of three on adaxial surface of scales | Psilotum |
| Stems not markedly angled; leaves with a single unbranched vein | 9 | |
| 9 | Sporangia fused in pairs on adaxial edges of forked leaf-like structures; plants usually epiphytic with pendent stems | Tmesipteris |
| Sporangia produced singly on adaxial surfaces of leaves, never fused in pairs, usually in distinct cones (except Huperzia); plants terrestrial or epiphytic | 10 | |
| 10 | Terrestrial plants; bulbils present in axils of leaves; the leaves bearing sporangia not aggregated into distinct cones | Huperzia |
| Terrestrial or epiphytic plants; bulbils absent; the leaves bearing sporangia aggregated into distinct cones | 11 | |
| 11 | Plants terrestrial, upright, stem <50 mm tall, with an underground tuber; cones single and terminal on a leafless stalk; leaves 7–20 mm long, forming a basal rosette | Phylloglossum |
| Plants scrambling, climbing or epiphytic; or, if terrestrial and upright, stem >50 mm tall, lacking an underground tuber; cones sessile or on leafy stalks; leaves borne on elongated stems | 12 | |
| 12 | Leaves herbaceous, ovate or elliptic; cones inconspicuous | Selaginella |
| Leaves coriaceous, ± linear or narrowly ovate or narrowly triangular; cones conspicuous | 13 | |
| 13 | Stems branching dichotomously, of equal thickness; plants tufted with stems erect or pendent and lacking horizontal stems; roots forming a basal tuft; leaves bearing sporangia similar to or slightly smaller than sterile leaves | Phlegmariurus |
| Stems branching dichotomously, of unequal thickness; main stems horizontal, giving rise to branched or unbranched aerial stems; roots arising at intervals along the horizontal stems; leaves bearing strongly modified sporangia | 14 | |
| 14 | Cones lateral on aerial stems, tan-brown, dark red-brown or chocolate-brown | Lycopodiella |
| Cones terminal on aerial stems, yellow-brown or orange-brown | 15 | |
| 15 | Cones erect and terminating branching aerial stems, or pendulous and stalked | Lycopodium |
| Cones erect and terminating unbranched aerial stems, or pendulous and sessile | Lycopodiella | |
| Adder’s tongue and parsley ferns | ||
| 16 | Stipe branching into two, one branch bearing a sterile lamina, the other bearing sporangia on a branched or unbranched stalk | 17 |
| Stipe undivided, or, if dichotomously branched, the branches not markedly different to each other | 18 | |
| 17 | Sterile blade of frond dissected once to several times; veins free; sporangia sessile or subsessile on a branched stalk | Botrychium |
| Sterile blade of frond undivided; veins reticulate; sporangia embedded in an undivided stalk | Ophioglossum | |
| Comb ferns | ||
| 18 | Stipe many times longer than fertile lamina, often dichotomously branched and sometimes flattened | Schizaea |
| Stipe usually shorter or of similar length to fertile lamina, never dichotomously branched or flattened | 19 | |
| Dimorphic ferns | ||
| 19 | Plants bearing dimorphic fertile and sterile fronds, or fertile fronds with dimorphic fertile and sterile pinnae | 20 |
| Plants bearing monomorphic fertile and sterile fronds, or fertile fronds with monomorphic fertile and sterile pinnae | 27 | |
| 20 | Costae of sterile pinnae branching dichotomously | 21 |
| Costae of sterile pinnae unbranched in pinnate fronds, or branching pinnately in more divided fronds | 22 | |
| 21 | Fertile fronds with dimorphic fertile and sterile pinna segments on same frond; high-climbing ferns | Lygodium |
| Fertile fronds with similar fertile and sterile pinna segments, but aerial fertile fronds markedly different to sterile basal ‘nest’ fronds; epiphytic perching ferns | Platycerium | |
| 22 | Laminae bearing bulbils | Asplenium |
| Laminae lacking bulbils | 23 | |
| 23 | Fertile and sterile pinnae dimorphic, borne on same frond | 24 |
| Fertile and sterile fronds dimorphic; fertile and sterile pinnae not borne on same frond | 25 | |
| 24 | Sporangia confined to proximal pair of skeletonised fertile pinnae that are borne on long stalks | Anemia |
| Sporangia confined to distal portion of frond; fertile pinnae lacking long stalks | Osmunda | |
| 25 | Fertile fronds 1-pinnate | Blechnum |
| Fertile fronds at least 2-pinnate | 26 | |
| 26 | Fronds borne on short, slender, erect trunk; rachis with a jagged wing; fertile secondary pinnae flattened, ± oblong | Blechnum |
| Fronds borne on creeping rhizome; rachis lacking a jagged wing; fertile secondary pinnae rounded and bead-like | Onoclea | |
| Ferns with rachis branching dichotomously | ||
| 27 | Lamina with the rachis branching dichotomously | 28 |
| Lamina entire, lobed, forked once, or branching pinnately | 31 | |
| 28 | Buds absent at each rachis dichotomy; sori protected by reflexed lamina flaps | Adiantum |
| Buds present at each rachis dichotomy; sori unprotected | 29 | |
| 29 | Ultimate lamina segments <3 mm long, bearing one sorus each; ultimate leaflets arranged pinnately | Gleichenia |
| Ultimate lamina segments >4 mm long, bearing more than two sori each; ultimate leaflets arranged pseudo-dichotomously | 30 | |
| 30 | Ultimate lamina segments with veins between midvein and margin branched more than once; sori with 7–12 sporangia per sorus; scales absent from lamina and rhizome | Dicranopteris |
| Ultimate lamina segments with veins between midvein and margin branched only once; sori with 3–5 sporangia per sorus; scales present, always evident on rhizome, but sometimes hair-like on lamina | Sticherus | |
| Ferns with sporangia fused into a synangium | ||
| 31 | Midribs of primary pinnae markedly swollen at junction with rachis; sporangia fused together in two rows into a synangium, opening by a longitudinal vertical slit | Ptisana |
| Midribs of primary pinnae not swollen at junction with rachis; sporangia not fused together, opening individually | 32 | |
| Ferns with sori on the lamina margin | ||
| 32 | Sori situated at, or protruding from, the lamina margin | 33 |
| Sori situated on abaxial lamina surface, away from lamina margin | 59 | |
| Ferns with sori on the lamina margin | ||
| a) protected by cup-shaped or tubular indusia protruding from the margin | ||
| 33 | Sporangia borne on a short stalk protruding from the lamina margin within a two-flapped or tubular indusium | 34 |
| Sporangia arranged in sori on the abaxial lamina surface, not protruding from the margin in two-flapped or tubular indusia | 37 | |
| 34 | Laminae coriaceous and opaque, ± glabrous | Loxsoma |
| Laminae very thin and translucent (filmy ferns), but sometimes obscured by dense covering of hairs | 35 | |
| 35 | Laminae entire | Hymenophyllum |
| Laminae pinnately or dichotomously divided | 36 | |
| 36 | Indusia two-flapped; receptacles not or only slightly exserted; rhizomes nearly glabrous or only sparsely hairy | Hymenophyllum |
| Indusia tubular or bell-shaped; receptacles long-exserted; rhizomes abundantly covered in hairs | Trichomanes | |
| Ferns with sori on lamina margin | ||
| b) protected by pouched indusia | ||
| 37 | Sori enclosed in pouched indusia attached to the abaxial lamina surface on three sides; rhizomes thick, long-creeping, densely scaly | Davallia |
| Sori round, ovate or elongated along the lamina margin, not confined to pouched indusia; rhizomes erect, or if creeping, either lacking scales, or thin and scaly | 38 | |
| Ferns with sori on the lamina margin | ||
| c) elongated along the lamina margin | ||
| 38 | Sori elongated along lamina margin, at least at maturity | 39 |
| Sori round, ovate, or oblong, not elongated along lamina margin | 50 | |
| 39 | Sori protected by elongate indusia opening away from centre of lamina segment | 40 |
| Sori protected by inrolled lamina margin, or by membranous indusia opening towards centre of lamina segment, or sori unprotected | 41 | |
| 40 | Rhizome short- to long-creeping; stipe and rachis red-brown; lamina ± glabrous | Lindsaea |
| Rhizome erect; stipe and rachis green or pale brown; lamina bearing clathrate (latticed) scales | Asplenium | |
| 41 | Sori ± unprotected; fronds pinnate; pinnae jointed to rachis | Pellaea |
| Sori protected by unmodified inrolled lamina margin, or by a membranous indusium; frond usually at least 2-pinnate; pinnae not jointed to rachis | 42 | |
| 42 | Stipe and rachis bearing glandular hairs | Paesia |
| Stipe and rachis lacking glandular hairs | 43 | |
| 43 | Veins reticulate | 44 |
| Veins free | 45 | |
| 44 | Lamina glabrous; abaxial surface usually glaucous; primary pinnae sessile | Histiopteris |
| Lamina sparsely scaly; abaxial surface green; primary pinnae stalked | Pteris | |
| 45 | Laminae 1-pinnate | Pteris |
| Laminae 2–4-pinnate | 46 | |
| 46 | Stipe and rachis uniformly red-brown or dark brown | 47 |
| Stipe and rachis green to yellow-brown, except sometimes dark brown at stipe base | 49 | |
| 47 | Stipes longer than laminae; abaxial lamina surface bearing long orange hairs | Myriopteris |
| Stipes shorter than laminae; abaxial lamina surface either glabrous, scaly, or bearing white or dark brown hairs | 48 | |
| 48 | Sori protected by strongly reflexed, membranous, lamina flaps that are slightly elongated along the margin; abaxial lamina surface glabrous or bearing dark brown hairs | Adiantum |
| Sori protected by inrolled, green lamina flaps, sometimes becoming membranous at their apices; abaxial lamina surface bearing pale hairs or scales | Cheilanthes | |
| 49 | Rhizome erect to short-creeping; ultimate lamina segments glabrous and often toothed near their apices | Pteris |
| Rhizome long-creeping; ultimate lamina segments hairy and entire | Pteridium | |
| Ferns with sori on the lamina margin | ||
| d) not elongated along lamina margin | ||
| 50 | Sori protected by ± cup-shaped indusia, or indusia opening away from centre of lamina segment | 51 |
| Sori protected by inrolled marginal lamina segments (sometimes also with a true inner indusium), or sori almost unprotected | 55 | |
| 51 | Indusia ovate or ± cup-shaped | 52 |
| Indusia oblong or slightly elongated along the margin | 54 | |
| 52 | Indusia ovate, attached to lamina at base with two free lateral margins | Leptolepia |
| Indusia ± cup-shaped, attached to lamina by base and sides | 53 | |
| 53 | Laminae 2–3-pinnate-pinnatifid, 200–500 mm long; abaxial lamina surfaces abundantly hairy | Microlepia |
| Laminae deeply 3-pinnate-pinnatifid to 4-pinnate; 400–1350 mm long; abaxial lamina surfaces sparsely hairy | Dennstaedtia | |
| 54 | Laminae 2-pinnate to 3-pinnate-pinnatifid; stipes red- or purple-brown | Lindsaea |
| Laminae 3–4-pinnate; stipes pale brown | Odontosoria | |
| 55 | Ultimate lamina segments with distinct stalks | Adiantum |
| Ultimate lamina segments lacking distinct stalks, adnate to midrib | 56 | |
| 56 | Each sorus protected by an inrolled lamina flap and a membranous inner indusium; rhizome forming an aerial woody trunk, or rarely thick and prostrate | Dicksonia |
| Each sorus unprotected, or protected only by a small, inrolled lamina flap; rhizome long-creeping or, if erect, not aerial or woody | 57 | |
| 57 | Stipes and rachises red-brown; laminae bearing hair-like scales, lacking glandular or acicular hairs | Cheilanthes |
| Stipes and rachises mostly green to chestnut-brown; or, if red-brown, bearing glandular hairs; laminae lacking scales | 58 | |
| 58 | Veins reaching lamina margin at an indentation; primary pinnae arising at c. 90° to rachis; groove on adaxial surface of primary pinnae confluent with that of rachis | Hiya |
| Veins reaching margin at a lamina extension; primary pinnae arising at acute angle to rachis; groove on adaxial surface of primary pinnae not confluent with that of rachis | Hypolepis | |
| Ferns not forming discrete sori | ||
| 59 | Sporangia not in discrete sori, spread over much of abaxial pinna surface | 60 |
| Sporangia in discrete sori, at least when immature; sori round, ovate or elongated | 63 | |
| 60 | Lamina densely covered in woolly hairs | Asplenium |
| Lamina glabrous or bearing acicular hairs | 61 | |
| 61 | Fronds <150 mm long | Anogramma |
| Fronds >150 mm long | 62 | |
| 62 | Laminae 2-pinnate, coriaceous, opaque; sporangia confined to proximal pinnae | Todea |
| Laminae 2-pinnate-pinnatifid, membranous, translucent; sporangia present on most pinnae | Leptopteris | |
| Ferns with discrete sori away from lamina margin | ||
| a) sori elongated along veins | ||
| 63 | Sori elongated along veins | 64 |
| Sori round, ovate or elongated parallel to the midrib | 69 | |
| 64 | Sori extending along the mid-vein of each pinna segment; lamina glabrous; rhizomes hairy but not scaly | Anogramma |
| Sori elongated along veins at an angle to the midrib; lamina usually hairy and/or scaly; rhizomes scaly | 65 | |
| 65 | Laminae <20 mm wide; indusia absent; spores green | Notogrammitis |
| Laminae >20 mm wide; indusia present; spores brown | 66 | |
| 66 | Scales clathrate (latticed); free margin of indusium entire, though sometimes curved | Asplenium |
| Scales non-clathrate; free margin of indusium often laciniate or toothed | 67 | |
| 67 | Laminae bearing hairs; groove on adaxial surface of rachis not open and confluent with grooves of pinna midribs | Deparia |
| Laminae lacking hairs; groove on adaxial surface of rachis open and confluent with grooves of pinna midribs | 68 | |
| 68 | Sori linear, single on veins, or bent across the vein at one end, not paired back-to-back; veins always free; groove on adaxial surface of rachis V-shaped; rhizomes always erect | Athyrium |
| Sori linear, either single or paired back-to-back along veins; veins free or rarely reticulate; groove on adaxial surface of rachis U-shaped; rhizomes erect or rarely long-creeping | Diplazium | |
| Ferns with discrete sori away from lamina margin | ||
| b) sori elongated parallel to midrib | ||
| 69 | Fronds often red-tinged; sori clearly oblong, in rows parallel to midrib | Blechnum |
| Fronds not red-tinged; sori round, ovate, or slightly elongated at an angle to the midrib | 70 | |
| Ferns with discrete sori away from lamina margin | ||
| c) sori round or ovate, lacking indusia | ||
| 70 | Indusia absent | 71 |
| Indusia round or reniform | 83 | |
| 71 | Fertile fronds entire | 72 |
| Fertile fronds lobed, pinnatifid, pinnate or more divided | 76 | |
| 72 | Abaxial surface of lamina densely covered in stellate hairs | Pyrrosia |
| Abaxial surface of lamina almost glabrous | 73 | |
| 73 | Sori arranged in single rows of several sori between main lateral veins | Niphidium |
| Sori in one row either side of midrib | 74 | |
| 74 | Laminae <40 mm long; veins free | Notogrammitis |
| Laminae >40 mm long; veins reticulate | 75 | |
| 75 | Fronds arising in tufts from rhizome; areoles of reticulate veins lacking free included veinlets; hydathodes absent | Loxogramme |
| Fronds arising individually at intervals along the rhizome; areoles of reticulate veins with free included veinlets; hydathodes visible on adaxial lamina surface | Lecanopteris | |
| 76 | Primary pinnae or pinna lobes adnate to rachis | 77 |
| Primary pinnae joined to rachis by distinct stalks | 79 | |
| 77 | Ultimate lamina segments 1–2 mm wide; laminae 1–2-pinnatifid; sori slightly elongate, 1–2 mm long | Notogrammitis |
| Ultimate lamina segments 3–30 mm wide; laminae 1-pinnatifid to 1-pinnate; sori round, 1–5 mm long | 78 | |
| 78 | Laminae deeply pinnatifid, but not divided completely to rachis; lamina lobes entire or sinuate but not serrate | Lecanopteris |
| Laminae pinnatisect, divided completely to rachis in at least the proximal third; pinna margins minutely serrate | Polypodium | |
| 79 | Fronds 1-pinnate; rhizomes long-creeping or climbing; stipes jointed and swollen at their bases | Arthropteris |
| Fronds at least 1-pinnate-pinnatifid; rhizomes erect; stipes not jointed and swollen at their bases | 80 | |
| 80 | Fronds 1-pinnate-pinnatifid | 81 |
| Fronds at least 2-pinnate | 82 | |
| 81 | All veins free; stipe and rachis red-brown | Pseudophegopteris |
| At least the basal pair of veins in each pinna segment uniting with those from adjacent segments; stipe and rachis green to pale brown | Pneumatopteris | |
| 82 | Long hairs present in sorus | Cyathea |
| Hairs absent from sorus | Polystichum | |
| Ferns with discrete sori away from lamina margin | ||
| d) sori round or ovate, with round or reniform indusia | ||
| 83 | Fertile frond 1-pinnate | 84 |
| Fertile frond 1-pinnate-pinnatifid or more divided | 86 | |
| 84 | Sori in one row either side of midrib, closer to margin than midrib | Nephrolepis |
| Sori in two or more rows either side of midrib, with at least some sori closer to midrib than margin | 85 | |
| 85 | Veins reticulate; indusia round | Cyrtomium |
| Veins free; indusia reniform | Dryopteris | |
| 86 | Fronds bearing very scattered scales and/or hairs; indusia ovate | Cystopteris |
| Fronds usually bearing abundant scales and/or hairs; indusia round or reniform | 87 | |
| 87 | Fertile frond 1-pinnate-pinnatifid | 88 |
| Fertile frond at least 2-pinnate | 91 | |
| 88 | Rachis bearing a prominent bulbil near the apex | Polystichum |
| Rachis lacking bulbils | 89 | |
| 89 | All veins free | Thelypteris |
| At least the basal pair of veins in each pinna segment uniting with those from adjacent segments | 90 | |
| 90 | Basal pair of pinnae much shorter than those at mid-lamina | Christella |
| Basal pair of pinnae about as long as those at mid-lamina | Cyclosorus | |
| 91 | Plants with tall, woody trunks (tree ferns) | Cyathea |
| Plants lacking tall, woody trunks | 92 | |
| 92 | Lamina densely covered in hairs 1–2 mm long, scales virtually absent; indusia <0.4 mm in diameter | Macrothelypteris |
| Lamina lacking hairs, or hairs <1 mm long, often abundantly scaly; indusia >0.4 mm in diameter, round or reniform | 93 | |
| 93 | Indusia round | 94 |
| Indusia reniform | 95 | |
| 94 | Rhizome erect; ultimate lamina segments acute or acuminate; bulbils occasionally present | Polystichum |
| Rhizome long-creeping; ultimate lamina segments obtuse or round-ended; bulbils absent | Rumohra | |
| 95 | Lamina bearing hairs | 96 |
| Lamina lacking hairs | 98 | |
| 96 | Stipes and rachises bearing bristle-like scales with bulbous bases | Lastreopsis |
| Stipes and rachises bearing flattened scales without bulbous bases | 97 | |
| 97 | Stipes, rachises and laminae densely covered in soft brown hairs on both surfaces; lamina velvety | Lastreopsis |
| Stipes, rachises and laminae bearing red or whitish hairs, often sparse on abaxial surfaces; lamina soft, but not velvety | Parapolystichum | |
| 98 | Rhizomes long-creeping; plants confined to Kermadec Islands | Arachniodes |
| Rhizomes erect or short-creeping; plants of the main islands of New Zealand | Dryopteris | |
Biostatus
Indigenous (Non-endemic)
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| Indigenous (Endemic) | 89 |
| Indigenous (Non-endemic) | 104 |
| Exotic: Fully Naturalised | 26 |
| Exotic: Casual | 35 |
| Total | 254 |
Bibliography
Brownsey, P.J. & Perrie, L.R. 2022: Keys to families and genera. In: Breitwieser, I. (ed.) Flora of New Zealand — Ferns and Lycophytes. Fascicle II. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln.
Mabberley, D.J. 2008: Mabberley's plant book, a portable dictionary of plants, their classification and uses. Edition 3. Cambridge University Press.
Pichi Sermolli, R.E.G. 1977: Tentamen Pteridophytorum genera in taxonomicum ordinem redigendi. Webbia 31: 313–512. [as Filicopsida]
Ruggiero, M.A.; Gordon, D.P.; Orrell, T.M.; Bailly, N.; Bourgoin, T.; Brusca, R.C.; Cavalier-Smith, T.; Guiry, M.D.; Kirk, P.M. 2015: A higher level classification of all living organisms. PLOS ONE 10(4): 1–60.
Smith, A.R.; Pryer, K.M.; Schuettpelz, E.; Korall, P.; Schneider, H.; Wolf, P.G. 2006: A classification for extant ferns. Taxon 55(3): 705–731.
