List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland (ferns and allies)

This page's list covers the ferns and allies (Lycopodiopsida, Equisetopsida and Pteridopsida) found in Great Britain and Ireland. For the background to this list see parent article List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland.

Status key: * indicates an introduced species and e indicates an extinct species.

Class Lycopodiopsida

Huperzia selago (northern clubmoss)

Order Lycopodiales

Family Lycopodiaceae (clubmosses)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Fir clubmoss Huperzia selago
Marsh clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata
Stag's-horn clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
Interrupted clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum
Alpine clubmoss Diphasiastrum alpinum
Issler's clubmoss Diphasiastrum × issleri

Order Selaginellales

Family Selaginellaceae (spikemosses)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Lesser clubmoss Selaginella selaginoides
Krauss's clubmoss Selaginella kraussiana *

Order Isoetales

Family Isoetaceae (quillworts)

Isoetes lacustris (lake quillwort or Merlin's grass)
English nameScientific nameStatus
Quillwort Isoetes lacustris
Spring quillwort Isoetes echinospora
Land quillwort Isoetes histrix

Class Polypodiopsida (ferns)

Order Equisetales

Family Equisetaceae (horsetails)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Rough horsetail Equisetum hyemale
Branched horsetail Equisetum ramosissimum *
Variegated horsetail Equisetum variegatum
Water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile
Field horsetail Equisetum arvense
Shady horsetail Equisetum pratense
Wood horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum
Marsh horsetail Equisetum palustre
Great horsetail Equisetum telmateia

Order Ophioglossales

Family Ophioglossaceae (adder's-tongues)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Southern adder's-tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum
Small adder's-tongue Ophioglossum azoricum
Least adder's-tongue Ophioglossum lusitanicum
Moonwort Botrychium lunaria

Order Osmundales

Family Osmundaceae (royal ferns)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Royal fern Osmunda regalis

Order Polypodiales (polypod ferns, cathetogyrates)

Family Pteridaceae (maidenhair fern family)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Parsley fern Cryptogramma crispa
Maidenhair fern Adiantum capillus-veneris
Ribbon fern Pteris cretica *

Family Hymenophyllaceae (filmy ferns, bristle ferns)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Tunbridge filmy-fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense
Wilson's filmy-fern Hymenophyllum wilsonii
Killarney fern Trichomanes speciosum

Family Polypodiaceae

English nameScientific nameStatus
Polypody Polypodium vulgare
Intermediate polypody Polypodium interjectum
Southern polypody Polypodium cambricum
Kangaroo fern Phymatosorus diversifolius *

Family Dennstaedtiaceae (bracken family)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Bracken Pteridium aquilinum

Family Thelypteridaceae (marsh ferns)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
Beech fern Phegopteris connectilis
Lemon-scented fern Oreopteris limbospermum

Family Aspleniaceae (spleenworts)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Hart's-tongue Asplenium scolopendrium
Black spleenwort Asplenium adiantum-nigrum
Irish spleenwort Asplenium onopteris
Lanceolate spleenwort Asplenium obovatum
Sea spleenwort Asplenium marinum
Maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
Green spleenwort Asplenium viride
Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria
Forked spleenwort Asplenium septentrionale
Rustyback Asplenium ceterach

Family Woodsiaceae (cliff ferns)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Ostrich fern Matteuccia struthiopteris *
Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis *
Lady-fern Athyrium filix-femina
Alpine lady-fern Athyrium distentifolium
Newman's lady-fern Athyrium flexile
Oak fern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
Limestone fern Gymnocarpium robertianum
Brittle bladder-fern Cystopteris fragilis
Dickie's bladder-fern Cystopteris dickieana
Mountain bladder-fern Cystopteris montana
Oblong woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
Alpine woodsia Woodsia alpina

Family Dryopteridaceae (wood ferns)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Soft shield fern Polystichum setiferum
Hard shield fern Polystichum aculeatum
Holly fern Polystichum lonchitis
House holly-fern Cyrtomium falcatum *
Mountain male-fern Dryopteris oreades
Male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas
Scaly male-fern Dryopteris affinis
Scaly buckler-fern Dryopteris remota e
Hay-scented buckler-fern Dryopteris aemula
Rigid buckler-fern Dryopteris submontana
Crested buckler-fern Dryopteris cristata
Narrow buckler-fern Dryopteris carthusiana
Broad buckler-fern Dryopteris dilatata
Northern buckler-fern Dryopteris expansa

Order Salviniales

Family Marsileaceae (pepperworts)

English nameScientific nameStatus
Pillwort Pilularia globulifera

Family Salviniaceae

English nameScientific nameStatus
Water fern Azolla filiculoides *

Order Cyatheales (tree ferns etc.)

Family Dicksoniaceae

English nameScientific nameStatus
Australian tree-fern Dicksonia antarctica *

Family Blechnaceae

English nameScientific nameStatus
Hard-fern Blechnum spicant
Chilean hard-fern Parablechnum cordatum *

See also

  • Flora of the British Isles
  • Pteridophyta of Europe

Notes

  • Jersey fern (Anogramma leptophylla) is present in the Channel Islands as a native species, but does not occur in Britain or Ireland.
  • Irish spleenwort (Asplenium onopteris) is native only to Ireland; it is represented in Britain only by an introduced population in North Wales.
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