OPHIOGLOSSALES EQUISETALES Position uncertain. Grape 1:15 2:12 ferns, Adder’s 4-7:20 Ferns: A chart of fern families Horsetail, Whisk ferns, tongue, Moonwort Royal fern, Fork ferns Dutch rush Ophioglossaceae Cinnamon fern Almost cosmopolitan Psilotaceae Osmundaceae Rootless, mainly Temperate & tropical Tropics & temp Equisetaceae epiphytes Mycotrophic herbs, few epiphytes Distinct fertile Rhizomatous ? Trop, Austr, NZ, lvs/lf parts herbs & Pacific 4-5:80 This chart depicts a phylogeny of all living ferns. The disks PSILOTALES OSMUNDALES represent families of ferns. Groups of related families are indicated by a hierarchy of regions. Some of these groups are named. Insets below describe the information associated LEPTOSPORANGIATE FERNS 4(-6):150-200+ with each family, and provide a key and notes to the chart. Marattiaceae Large ferns with 2:11 2:4 For more than 250 years, families of plants and relationships fleshy roots 6:125 Ferns with Malaysia, between families were determined mainly by morphology ‘Forking ferns’ creeping stems Pacific Some edible tubers Matoniaceae (the structure, shape and number of plant parts). Since the Potato fern Dipteridaceae Gleicheniaceae Creeping early 1990s, genetic information has become available and (Sub)tropics Thicket-forming ferns S & E Asia, and now the affinity of species, genera and families is deter- Melanesia, (2) rhizomes Tropics, warm and W Polynesia mined primarily by molecular evidence. This chart is based MARATTIALES S temperate (1) GLEICHENIALES on recent work aimed at resolving the molecular phylogeny (1) includes Stromatopteris of ferns and will be revised as new results become available. 2-9:600 & Dicranopteridaceae, (2) Most placements are now well-established, but uncertainties Hymeno- Cheiropleuriaceae. remain - these are indicated on the chart. phyllaceae Widespread, tropics SCHIZAEALES The aim of the chart is to present some of the recent work on moist places, many (1) includes Mohriaceae. 3:75 2:16 fern phylogeny in an attractive and easily assimilable form, epiphytic/lithophytic Rooted aquatic Bristle ferns, Widespread,trop and, at the same time, to provide a map of fern families with Widespread, and marsh ferns Salviniaceae Filmy ferns Marsileaceae brief notes on each family. We hope that this will prove a tropics : 2:30 Free-floating water useful resource. Schizaeaceae Widespread ferns, w/w.o. roots HYMENOPHYLLALES Ray & Curly-grass ferns Pillwort (Pilularia), (1) Mosquito ferns, Includes Trichomanaceae. Comb ferns (Schizaea) Clover ferns Azolla Some spp. with vegetatively Small ground ferns, propagating gametophytes. linear or fan-like leaves SALVINIALES CYATHEALES The heterosporous ferns. All families include tree ferns, except (1), (2) and (3). 1:100+ Family relationships not fully resolved: (7) may be 1:25 (1) (1) includes Pilulariaceae. Anemiaceae sister to (3)-(6). (4) includes Hymenophyllopsis Vine-like climbers (small, creeping ferns from the Guiana Highlands) Lygodiaceae Rhizomes creeping and Alsophilaceae; (5) includes Lophosoria. Climbing ferns to suberect, lvs dimorphic (Sub)tropics, 2:2 1:1 (7) 1:2 E As & N Am America, Africa, Andes, Thyrso- (4) C Am, NZ Metaxyaceae Indian Ocean, pteridaceae (3) 4-5:600+ India Lox(s)omataceae Juan Fernandez Stems erect Ferns with (2) Islands 3:30 to prostrate Cyatheaceae CORE LEPTOSPORANGIATES creeping rhizomes A tree fern Woolly, Bristly, Tropical Am ‘Scaly tree ferns’ Soft (etc.) tree ferns Silver, Lacy, Black, POLYPODIALES Dicksoniaceae Norfolk Island (etc.) The ‘polypod’ ferns: approx. 80% of all living fern species are here. (1) 1:2 1:15 Trop Am, SW Pacific, 1:11 tree ferns includes the grammitid ferns, Grammitidaceae (c20 genera, c600 spp), Culcitaceae Plagio- Austr, SE Asia, Cibotiaceae (Sub)tropics Pleurosoriopsis and Gymnogrammitis. Some families, family placements Tree ferns gyriaceae St Helena E&SE Asia, C Am, and relationships are tentative, especially in Eupolypod II. (9)-(13) are American tropics, Lvs 1-pinnate, di- (5) Hawaii Woodsiaceae s.l.; likewise (4) and (5) are separated, as are (6)-(8): all Macaronesia, morphic, stems erect Rhizomes massive, (6) these are provisional. Lindsaeaceae may be sister to all other Polypods. SW Europe (1) (Sub)trop Asia & some tree ferns (2) position in Eupolypod I not fully resolved. (3) includes Stenochlaen- America Pulu fibre aceae, (4) Elaphoglossum (with Microstaphyla & Peltapteris), (11) Hemidictyum (which may be separated as a family). (14) includes Arthropteris and Psammiosorus (tentatively), (15) Cylopeltis and (16) EUPOLYPODS Sphaerostephanaceae. Generic limits in (14) are unclear. Some species in (1) and (17) have vegetatively propagating gametophytes.

(4) 1-2:12 34-45:1700 1:19 (2) 1:2 Saccolomat- (Sub)tropics aceae Dryopteridaceae Nephrolepid- (6-)8-10(-15):230 (14) Lonchitidaceae Cosmopolitan, tropics 2-5:65 Terrestrial, rhizomes Boston fern, aceae Tomato fern Shield & Sword ferns, Tectariaceae Hare’s foot fern Trop Am, Afr, trunk-like Kimberley queen (Davallia) 6-9:200 Madgscr Pantropical Wood, Male & Buckler ferns, fern, Ladder fern (Sub)tropics (SE Asia) Davalliaceae (17) Christmas fern,Afr water fern (Nephrolepis) Lindsaeaceae Terrestrial ferns OW (sub)tropics,Pacific (8) 1:1 50-60:950 Terrestrial, epiphytes Creeping rhizomes, Terrestrial, few epiphytes, Pteridaceae Epiphytes, few Cystodiaceae and aquatics 3:47 usually long-creeping Maidenhair, Parsley, lithophytes Large fern with Lip, Carrot & Shoestring Lomariops-

Designed by David E. Rydeheard, University of Manchester, U.K. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Version 1.1 (Online) rhizomes creeping trunk ferns, Water sprite 3:6-7 idaceae Pantropical SE Asia Terrestrial/epiphytic, inc. Mahogany fern/ (Sub)tropics 1:40 50-80:1200 (1) (6) (7) rock, desert & aquatic Tree maidenhair Creeping, climbing Terrestrial, ferns: Widespread, Hypodematiaceae or semi-epiphytes epiphytic, some Polypodiaceae (sub)tropics Pantropical, 1-pinnate climbing Tropics, few temperate OW Oleandraceae 10-11:170 (5) (15) Epiphytes and lithophytes, Bracken Lvs simple; some some terrestrial or aquatic, Dennstaedtiaceae thicket-forming rhizomes creeping Tropics Cosmopolitan, mainly 1-3(4):25 Polypody (inc Licorice tropics: some edible (1-)2(-10):700 Aspleniaceae Tufted rock ferns 1-4:5 fern), Staghorn fern, Terrestrial, few climbers, Woodsiaceae Terrestrial ferns Java fern long-creeping Bird’s nest fern, Onocleaceae (10) rhizomes Spleenworts, Rusty-back, Temp, cool temp, 5:610 few (sub)tropical Sensitive fern, Walking fern (Asplenium), Ostrich fern Cosmopolitan 1:5-7 Wall-rue, Hart’s-tongue Woodsia N temp Athyriaceae Rhachido- Widespread, (9) soraceae Lady ferns, Glade ferns, (sub)tropics (3) Med-large forest 4:21 5-30:950 2-10:200 Vegetable fern (edible), ferns, rocky areas EUPOLYPODS I Temp & warm, Blechnaceae Twinsorus ferns, Thick rhizomes (11) Widespread, SE/E Asia SE Asia, trop mtns (sub)tropics Cosmopolitan Jp painted fern (12) (N temp) 3:4-5 Diplaziopsid- Thelypteridaceae Some tree ferns and EUPOLYPODS II Cystopteridaceae aceae climbing ferns Oak fern Med-large forest ferns Terrestrial ferns Hard/Deer fern, Chain (Gymnocarpium), Lemon-scented fern, Bladder ferns SE & E As, ferns, Rasp ferns, Trop & C Am, Marsh & Beech Crown fern (13) Polynesia ferns (16)

KEY: Phrases in italics are to be read as ‘mainly/predominantly’, including ‘centres of distribution’. (Sub)tropics = tropics and subtropics. N/S/E/W = North/South/East/West, C = Central. SE Asia includes the islands FAMILY KEY The size between mainland Asia and Austr. C Am includes the Caribbean islands. Approx. number of genera : of the disk OW = Old World. Approx. number of species 2-10:200 indicates NOTES: the number Family name Blechnaceae The chart is available from www.botanicalchart.org.uk. The website gives Cosmopolitan of species, details of the chart, its interpretation and sources. Several words of warning: Distribution Some tree ferns and in ranges: climbing ferns Most of the families and relationships displayed here are well established. Range of growth forms Hard/Deer fern, Chain 1-10 However, some uncertainties remain and these are noted. As further results Some familiar ferns/products ferns, Rasp ferns, 10-100 appear, revised versions of the chart will be published. Common (or verna- Crown fern 100-1000 cular) names (in English) of ferns are included. These however should be Family circumscriptions are based on those 1000-10000 treated with caution: a common name may be used for several different of Christenhusz, Zhang & Schneider (2011). species and usage may vary around the world.