Pteridaceae E.D.M.Kirchn.

Terrestrial, rupestral or rarely (not NZ) aquatic ferns. Rhizome erect to long-creeping, bearing scales or hairs; roots rarely bearing small tubers. Fronds usually monomorphic or rarely dimorphic, not articulated to rhizome. Laminae 1–5-pinnate (NZ) or entire to 6-pinnate (not NZ), sometimes pedate or helicoid (NZ) or palmate (not NZ); herbaceous or coriaceous, glabrous or scaly and/or hairy, rarely farinose abaxially (not NZ). Pinnae or pinna segments sometimes articulated to rachis or costae. Veins free or reticulate, the areolae without included veinlets. Sori extending along the veins, or extending along the margins, or borne on the underside of modified, reflexed, marginal lamina flaps; paraphyses present or absent; sori exindusiate or protected by the unmodified inrolled lamina margin, or by a membranous, reflexed lamina margin; sporangial maturation mixed. Sporangia with vertical or rarely oblique annulus, 16–64 spores per sporangium. Homosporous; spores trilete, lacking chlorophyll; perispores either with coarse ridges and a prominent equatorial flange, or prominently cristate or echinate without an equatorial flange, or plain to tuberculate without an equatorial flange.

A family of five subfamilies, 53 genera and over 1200 species (PPG 1 2016).

Five subfamilies were recognised in this large family by PPG 1 (2016): Parkerioideae, Cryptogammoideae, Pteridoideae, Vittarioideae and Cheilanthoideae. All are monophyletic (Schuettpelz et al. 2007; Zhang et al. 2015), but only the latter three occur in New Zealand, with Anogramma and Pteris in Pteridoideae, Adiantum in Vittarioideae, and Cheilanthes, Myriopteris and Pellaea in Cheilanthoideae.

Allan (1961) included Adiantum, Anogramma, Cheilanthes and Pellaea in Adiantaceae, and placed only Pteris in Pteridaceae, along with Histiopteris, Paesia and Pteridium, which are now included in Dennstaedtiaceae (PPG 1 2016). Myriopteris has only recently been recognised as a separate genus (Grusz & Windham 2013; PPG 1 2016), and the sole New Zealand representative was previously included in Cheilanthes.

Pteridaceae is a large and diverse family comprising terrestrial or rupestral species with erect to long-creeping rhizomes. Fronds are monomorphic or dimorphic, entire to 5-pinnate, and scaly or sometimes hairy. The sori are either exindusiate and extend along the veins, or are marginal and protected by the modified lamina margin, producing trilete spores.