Polypodiopsida

Based on: Flora Committee

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)

Number of species and named hybrids in New Zealand within *Polypodiopsida*
Category	Number
Indigenous (Endemic)	89
Indigenous (Non-endemic)	104
Exotic: Fully Naturalised	26
Exotic: Casual	34
Total	253

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.