A classification of the ferns and their allies
- a work in progress

Higher level classification

Lower level classification

Other useful resources

The following classification of the genera of ferns and their allies is a loose, perhaps tenuous, concensus of a number of published systems, some of which are available on the web. It tries to reflect contemporary views on phylogenetic relationships and as such will change from time to time. Of particular relevance at the moment are the studies of Kathleen Pryer, Alan Smith and Judith Skog summarised on the Tree of Life, James Reveal's work on Index Nominum Supragenericorum Plantarum Vascularium, Dick Brummit's work on Vascular Plants Families and Genera and Ellen Farr and Gea Zijlstra's Index Nominum Genericorum.

The complexity and difficulty of the classification of the ferns and their allies is matched by no other group. After more than two centuries of work, the arrangement of species into genera and genera into families is still a long way from settled with almost every new treatment or flora adopting a different system to any that went before. A quick look at fern synonymy reveals a bewildering history of name changes in taxa at all levels as botanists struggle to find an arrangement that makes sense in terms of both the physical similarities of the plants and in terms of the phylogenetic processes that lead to the pteridophytes that we know today.

The literature of pteriodphyte classification is vast, from all levels from the Divison to the Genus and below at all geographic scales from global to local. Unfortunately, hardly any of this historical material is available via the Internet and equally unfortunately, very little contemporary information is making its waya there.

The arrangement and classification hierarchy here is an attempt to draw together a number of elements into a pragmatic structure for storing and finding information about the diversity of ferns and associated plants.

It is important to remember that this classification is an on-going work in progress and and that the content and concepts will change, evolve, even oscillate, over time. As this resource grows, the hierarchy will serve as a practical directory of where information can be found.

To help users find their way around, a number of commonly encountered synonyms or alternative names are being included. These are italicised in the tables.

Comments and input to this list are welcomed; please email the Webmaster.

Classification from Division to Class to Order

Division	Subdivision	Class	Subclass	Order
Lycopodiophyta	Lycopodiophytina	Lycopodiopsida	Lycopodiidae	Lycopodiales
		Sellaginellopsida	Sellaginellidae	Selaginellales
		Isoetopsida	Isoetidae	Isoetales
Equisetophyta	Equisetophytina	Equisetopsida	Equisetidae	Equisetales
Psilotophyta	Psilotophytina	Psilotopsida	Psilotidae	Psilotales
Polypodiophyta	Polypodiophytina	Polypodiopsida	Marattiidae	Marattiales
			Ophioglossidae	Ophioglossales
			Polypodiidae	Osmundales
				Hymenophyllales
				Gleicheniales
				Schizaeales
				Dicksoniales
				Cyatheales
				Marsiliales
				Salviniales
				Pteridales
				Blechnales
				Davalliales
				Polypodiales

Classification from Order to Family to Genus

Order	Family	Subfamily	Genus
Lycopodiales	Lycopodiaceae	Huperzioideae	Huperzia -- Phlegmariurus
		Lycopodielloideae	Lycopodiella -- Lateristachys
		Lycopodioideae	Lycopodium -- Diphasiastrum -- Diphasium
		Phylloglossoideae	Phylloglossum
Selaginellales	Selaginellaceae		Sellaginella
Isoetales	Isoetaceae		Isoetes -- Stylites
Equisetales	Equisetaceae		Equisetum -- Hippochaete
Psilotales	Psilotaceae -- Tmesipteridacee		Psilotum Tmesipteris
Marattiales	Marattiaceae -- Angiopteridaceae -- Christenseniaceae -- Danaeaceae -- Kaulfussiaceae	Angiopteridoideae	Angiopteris -- Archangiopteris -- Macroglossum -- Protangiopteris -- Protomarattia
		'Christensenioideae' ined.	Christensenia -- Kaulfussia
		Dannaeoideae	Danaea -- Danaeopsis -- Heterodanaea
		Marattioideae	Marattia -- Eupodium
Ophioglossales	Ophioglossaceae -- Botrychiaceae -- Helminthostachyaceae		Botrychium -- Botrypus -- Japanobotrychium -- Lunularia -- Osmundopteris -- Sceptridium Helminthostachys -- Botryopteris Ophioglossum -- Cheiroglossa -- Ophioderma -- Rhizoglossum
Hymenophyllales	Hymenophyllaceae -- Trichomanaceae	Cardiomanidoideae	Cardiomanes
		Hymenophylloideae	Craspedophyllum Hemicyatheon Hymenophyllum -- Amphipterum -- Buesia -- Craspedophyllum -- Diploophyllum -- Hemicyatheon -- Leptocionium -- Mecodium -- Meringium -- Myriodon -- Myrmecostylum -- Pachyloma -- Ptychomanes -- Ptychophyllum -- Rosenstockia Polyphlebium -- Phlebiophyllum Rosenstockia
		Trichomanoideae	Abrodictyum Callistopteris Cephalomanes -- Calistopteris -- Davalliopsis -- Macroglena -- Nesopteris -- Selenodesmium Crepidomanes -- Craspedoneuron -- Crepidium -- Crepidophyllum -- Crepidopteris -- Gonocormus -- Lacosteopsis -- Leucomanes -- Microtrichomames -- Mortoniopteris -- Pleuromanes -- Reediella -- Taschneria -- Vandenboschia Gonocormus Hymenoglossum Microtrichomanes Nesopteris Pleruomanes Polyphlebium Serpyllopsis Sphaerocionium -- Apteropteris -- Dermatophlebium Trichomanes -- Abrodictyum -- Didymoglossum -- Feea -- Hemiphlebium -- Homoeotes -- Hymenostachys -- Lacostea -- Lecanolepis -- Macroglena -- Mascalosorus -- Microgonium -- Neuromanes -- Neurophyllum -- Odontomanes -- Ptilophyllum -- Pyxidaria -- Ragatelus -- Trigonophyllum
	Hymenophyllopsidaceae		Hymenophyllopsis
Osmundales	Osmundaceae		Leptopteris Osmunda Todea
Gleicheniales	Gleicheniaceae -- Dicranopteridaceae		Dicranopteris Diplopterygium Gleichenia Sticherus
	Platyzomataceae		Platyzoma
	Matoniaceae		Matonia Phanerosorus
	Stromatopteridaceae		Stromatopteris
	Dipteridaceae		Dipteris
	Cheiropleuriaceae		Cheiropleuria
Schizaeales	Schizaeaceae -- Anemiaceae -- Mohriaceae		Actinostachys Anemia Mohria Schizaea
	Lygodiaceae		Lygodium
Plagiogyriales	Plagiogyriaceae		Plagiogyria
Dicksoniales	Dicksoniaceae -- Culcitaceae -- Cystodiaceae -- Lophosoriaceae -- Thyrsopteridaceae	Cibotioideae	Cibotium
		'Cystodioideae' ined.	Cystodium
		Dicksonioideae	Dicksonia
		Lophosorioideae	Lophosoria
		Thyropteridoideae	Calochlaena Culcita Thyrsopteris
	Dennstaedtiaceae -- Hypolepidaceae -- Lindsaeaceae	Dennstaedtioideae	Blotiella Dennstaedtia Histiopteris Hypolepis Leptolepia Lonchitis Microlepia Oenotrichia Paesia Pteridium
		Lindsaeioideae	Lindsaea Odontosoria Ormoloma Sphenomeris Tapeinidium Xyropteris
		Saccalomatoideae	Orthiopteris Saccoloma
Cyatheales	Cyatheaceae		Cyathea
	Metaxyaceae		Metaxya
	Loxsomataceae -- Loxomataceae		Loxsoma Loxsomopsis
Marsileales	Marsileaceae -- Pilulariaceae		Marsilea Pilularia Regnellidium
Salviniales	Salviniaceae		Salvinia
	Azollaceae		Azolla
Pteridales	Actinopteridaceae		Actinopteris
	Adiantaceae -- Cheilanthaceae -- Cryptogrammataceae -- Hemionitidaceae -- Monachosoraceae -- Negripteridaceae -- Sinopteridaceae -- Taeintidaceae	Adiantoideae	Adiantum
		Cheilanthoideae	Adiantopsis Bommeria Cheilanthes Coniogramme Cryptogramma Doryopteris Hemionitis Jamesonia Llavea Negripteris Notholaena Paraceterach Sinopteris Trachypteris
		Monachosoroideae	Monachosorum
		Taenitoideae	Anogramma Austrogramme Cerosora Eriosorus Nephopteris Onychium Pityrogramma Pterozonium Syngramma Taenitis
	Parkeriaceae		Ceratopteris
	Pteridaceae -- Acrostichaceae	Pteridoideae	Afropteris Anopteris Nevrocallis Ochropteris Pteris
		Acrostichoideae	Acrostichum
	Vittariaceae -- Antrophyaceae		Ananthacorus Anetium Antrophyum Hecistopteris Monogramma Rheopteris Vaginularia Vittaria
Blechnales	Blechnaceae -- Stenochlaenaceae	Blechnoideae	Blechnum Barinea Doodia Pteridoblechnum Sadleria Salpichlaena Steensioblechnum Woodwardia
		Stenochlaenoideae	Stenochlaena
	Aspleniaceae		Antigramma Asplenium Camptosorus Ceterach Diellia Holodictyum Pleurosorus Schaffneria
	Dryopteridaceae -- Aspidiaceae -- Hypoderriaceae -- Peranemataceae -- Tectariaceae		Acrophorus Aenigmopteris Amphiblestra Arachiodes Atalopteris Ataxipteris Camptodium Chlamydogramme Coveniella Ctenitis Cyclodium Cyclopeltis Cyrtomium Diacalpe Didymochlaena Dryopolystichum Dryopsis Dryopteris Fadyenia Heterogonium Hypoderris Lastreopsis Leptorumohra Lithostegia Maxonia Megalastrum Nothoperanema Peranema Phanerophlebia Phanerophlebiopsis Plecosorus Pleocnemia Pleuroderris Polybotrya Polystichopsis Polystichum Pseudotectaria Psomiocarpa Pteridrys Rumohra Stenolepia Stigmatopteris Tectaria Tectaridium Triplophyllum
	Lomariopsidaceae -- Bolbitidaceae -- Elaphoglossaceae		Bolbitis Elaphoglossum Lomagramma Lomariopsis Peltapteris Teratophyllum Thysansoria
	Thelypteridaceae		Amauropelta Ampelopteris Amphineuron Chingia Christella Coryphopteris Cyclogramma Cyclosorus Glaphyropteridopsis Glaphyropteris Goniopteris Macrothelypteris Meniscium Menisorus Mesophlebion Metathelypteris Nannothelypteris Oreopteris Parathelypteris Phegopteris Plesioneuron Pneumatopteris Pronephrium Pseudocyclosorus Pseudophegopteris Sphaerostephanos Stegnogramma Steiropteris Thelypteris Trigonospora
	Woodsiaceae -- Athyriaceae -- Hypodematiaceae -- Onocleaceae		Acystopteris Adenoderris Anisocampium Athyrium Cheilanthopsis Cornopteris Cystoathyrium Cystopteris Diplaziopsis Diplasium Gymnocarpium Hemidictyum Hypodematium Kuniwatsukia Lunathyium Matteuccia Onoclea Trichoneuron Woodsia
Davalliales	Davalliaceae -- Gymnogrammitidaceae	Davallioideae	Araiostegia Davallia Davallodes Gymnogrammitis Leucostegia
	Oleandraceae -- Nephrolepidaceae	Oleandroideae	Arthropteris Oleandra Psammiosorus
		Nephrolepidoideae	Nephrolepis
Polypodiales	Polypodiaceae -- Drynariaceae -- Loxogrammaceae -- Platyceriaceae	Drynarioideae	Aglaomorpha -- Drynariopsis -- Holostachyum -- Merinthosorus Drynaria
		Microsoroideae	Arthromeris Belvisia Christiopteris Colysis Diblemma Lecanopteris Leptochilus Microsorum Paraselliguea Podosorus Polypodiopteris Selliguea -- Crypsinus -- Holcosorus -- Phymatopteris
		Platycerioideae	Platycerium Pyrrosia -- Drymoglossum Saxiglossum
		Pleopeltoideae	Belvisia Dicranoglossum Drymotaenium Lemmaphyllum Lepisorus Marginariopsis Microgramma Neolepisorus Neurodium Pleopeltis Paragramma Polypodium Solanopteris Synammia Thylacopteris
		Polypodioideae	Anapausia Anarthropteris Campyloneurum Dictymia Goniophlebium Niphidium Pecluma Phlebodium Polypodium Thylacopteris Hyalotrichopteris Neocheiropteris Paragramma Pycnoloma Synammia
		Loxogrammoideae	Loxogramme
	Grammitidaceae -- Grammitaceae		Acrosorus Adenophorus Calymmodon Ceradenia Chrysogrammitis Cochlidium Ctenopteris Glyphotaenium Grammitis Lellingera Prosaptia Scleroglossum Themelium Xiphopteris Zygadenia Zygophlebia

Other useful resources for pteridophyte classification

• Index Nominum Supragenericorum Plantarum Vascularium
  • Search for suprageneric names
  • Classification of Extant Vascular Plant Families
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew databases, including:
  • Search for generic names
  • List generic names within plant families
• Index Nominum Genericorum - Search for generic names of algae, fungi and plants
• Tree of Life
  • Filicopsida - Ferns
• Other fern resources on the Internet

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Updated October 1999 by Webmaster (anbg-info@anbg.gov.au)

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