Pteridophyta or Ferns

Adder's tongue
Beech fern
In the British Isles the Phylum Pteridophyta is represented by about 64 native species which are taxonomically classified into two Classes, five Orders, fourteen Families and twenty-four Genera.

This site aims to clarify and explain these relationships and provide information about the native species found in the British Isles. There is a Ferns search facility which aims to ease identification of specimens and you can Browse a list of species.

The Ferns Taxonomy page attempts to explain taxonomic relationships and there is a searcheable Glossary.

If you click on any of the images of ferns on this page you will see a slideshow of images and there are some more images in the Image Gallery

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Hard shield-fern
Lady fern

Some random samples

Cystopteris dickieana

Common name

Dickie's Bladder Fern

Cystopteris dickieana Dickie
© Copyright
Natural History Museum
Latin names
ClassPteridopsida
OrderPolypodiales
FamilyAthyriaceae
GenusCystopteris
Speciesdickieana
Alternative Family nameCystopteridaceae
Geographic details
HabitatMaritime
Soil typealkaline
DistributionW Scotland
NativeYes

Asplenium trichomanes pachyrachis

Common name

Lobed Maidenhair spleenwort

Asplenium trichomanes pachyrachisLobed Maidenhair spleenwort
© Copyright
Natural History Museum
Latin names
ClassPteridopsida
OrderPolypodiales
FamilyAspleniaceae
GenusAsplenium
Speciestrichomanes
Subspeciespachyrachis
Geographic details
Habitatrock faces
Soil typealkaline
DistributionLocally frequent W Britain
NativeYes

Asplenium marinum

Common name

Sea spleenwort

Asplenium marinum Sea spleenwort
© Copyright
Natural History Museum
Latin names
ClassPteridopsida
OrderPolypodiales
FamilyAspleniaceae
GenusAsplenium
Speciesmarinum
Geographic details
HabitatMaritime
DistributionW coastal
NativeYes