science

List of fern families

List of fern families is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of fern families rather than just read about it. In short: Below are lists of extant fern families and subfamilies using the classification scheme proposed by the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group in 2016 (PPG I). The scheme is based on molecular phylogenetic studies, and also draws on earlier classifications, particularly those by Smith et al.

Key takeaways

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Reproduce the core statement of List of fern families from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Below are lists of extant fern families and subfamilies using the classification scheme proposed by the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group in 2016 (PPG I). The scheme is based on molecular phylogenetic studies, and also draws on earlier classifications, particularly those by Smith et al. (2006), Chase and Reveal (2009), and Christenhusz et al. (2011). It rejects the very broad circumscription of some families used by Christenhusz and Chase (2014), whose Aspleniaceae corresponds to the entire suborder Aspleniineae of PPG I.

Systematic order Class Polypodiopsida Cronquist, Takht. & W.Zimm. (ferns, including horsetails) Subclass Equisetidae Warm. (horsetails and scouring-rushes) Order Equisetales DC. ex Bercht. & J.Presl Family Equisetaceae Michx. ex DC Subclass Ophioglossidae Klinge (whisk ferns, adder's-tongues and moonworts) Order Psilotales Prant Family Psilotaceae J.W.Griff. & Henfr. Order Ophioglossales Link Family Ophioglossaceae Martinov Subfamily Helminthostachyoideae C.Presl Subfamily Mankyuoideae J.R.Grant & B.Dauphin Subfamily Ophioglossoideae C.Presl Subfamily Botrychioideae C.Presl Subclass Marattiidae Klinge (marattioid ferns) Order Marattiales Link Family Marattiaceae Kaulf Subclass Polypodiidae Cronquist, Takht. & W.Zimm. (leptosporangiate ferns) Order Osmundales Link (royal ferns) Family Osmundaceae Martinov Order Hymenophyllales A.B.Frank (filmy ferns and bristle ferns) Family Hymenophyllaceae Mart Subfamily Trichomanoideae C.Presl Subfamily Hymenophylloideae Burnett Order Gleicheniales Schimp Family Matoniaceae C.Pres Family Dipteridaceae Seward & E.Dale Family Gleicheniaceae C.Presl Order Schizaeales Schimp. Family Lygodiaceae M.Roem Family Schizaeaceae Kaulf Family Anemiaceae Link Order Salviniales Link Family Salviniaceae Martinov Family Marsileaceae Mirb. Order Cyatheales A.B.Frank (tree ferns) Family Thyrsopteridaceae C.Presl Family Loxsomataceae C.Presl Family Culcitaceae Pic.Serm Family Plagiogyriaceae Bowe Family Cibotiaceae Koral Family Metaxyaceae Pic.Serm. Family Dicksoniaceae M.R.Schomb. Family Cyatheaceae Kaulf. Order Polypodiales Link Suborder Saccolomatineae Hovenkamp Family Saccolomataceae Doweld Suborder Lindsaeineae Lehtonen & Tuomist Family Cystodiaceae J.R.Croft Family Lonchitidaceae Doweld Family Lindsaeaceae C.Presl ex M.R.Schomb. Suborder Pteridineae J.Prado & Schuettp Family Pteridaceae E.D.M.Kirchn. Subfamily Parkerioideae Burnett Subfamily Cryptogrammoideae S.Lindsay Subfamily Pteridoideae Link Subfamily Vittarioideae Link Subfamily Cheilanthoideae Horvat Suborder Dennstaedtiineae Schwartsb. & Hovenkamp Family Dennstaedtiaceae Lotsy Suborder Aspleniineae H.Schneid. & C.J.Rothf Family Cystopteridaceae Shmakov Family Rhachidosoraceae X.C.Zhang Family Diplaziopsidaceae X.C.Zhang & Christenh. Family Desmophlebiaceae Mynssen Family Hemidictyaceae Christenh. & H.Schneid. Family Aspleniaceae Newman Family Woodsiaceae Herter Family Onocleaceae Pic.Serm. Family Blechnaceae Newman Subfamily Stenochlaenoideae (Ching) J.P.Roux Subfamily Woodwardioideae Gasper Subfamily Blechnoideae Gasper, V.A.O.Dittrich & Salino Family Athyriaceae Alston Family Thelypteridaceae Ching ex Pic.Serm. Subfamily Phegopteridoideae Salino, A.R.Sm. & T.E.Almeid Subfamily Thelypteridoideae C.F.Reed Suborder Polypodiineae Dumort. Family Didymochlaenaceae Ching ex Li Bing Zhang & Liang Zhang Family Hypodematiaceae Ching Family Dryopteridaceae Herter Subfamily Polybotryoideae H.M.Liu & X.C.Zhang Subfamily Elaphoglossoideae (Pic.Serm.) Crabbe, Jermy & Mickel Subfamily Dryopteridoideae Link 2 genera unassigned to a subfamily Family Nephrolepidaceae Pic.Serm. Family Lomariopsidaceae Alston Family Tectariaceae Panigrahi Family Oleandraceae Ching ex Pic.Serm. Family Davalliaceae M.R.Schomb. Family Polypodiaceae J.Presl & C.Presl Subfamily Loxogrammoideae H.Schneid. Subfamily Platycerioideae B.K.Nayar Subfamily Drynarioideae Crabbe, Jermy & Mickel Subfamily Microsoroideae B.K.Nayar Subfamily Polypodioideae Sweet Subfamily Grammitidoideae Parris & Sundue 1 genus unassigned to a subfamily

Alphabetic order Anemiaceae Link (1 genus) Aspleniaceae Newman (2 genera) Athyriaceae Alston (3 genera) Blechnaceae Newman (24 genera) Cibotiaceae Koral (1 genus) Culcitaceae Pic.Serm (1 genus) Cyatheaceae Kaulf. (3 genera) Cystodiaceae J.R.Croft (1 genus) Cystopteridaceae Shmakov (3 genera) Davalliaceae M.R.Schomb. (1 genus) Dennstaedtiaceae Lotsy (10 genera) Desmophlebiaceae Mynssen (1 genus) Dicksoniaceae M.R.Schomb. (3 genera) Didymochlaenaceae Ching ex Li Bing Zhang & Liang Zhang (1 genus) Diplaziopsidaceae X.C.Zhang & Christenh. (2 genera) Dipteridaceae Seward & E.Dale (2 genera) Dryopteridaceae Herter (26 genera) Equisetaceae Michx. ex DC (1 genus) Gleicheniaceae C.Presl (6 genera) Hemidictyaceae Christenh. & H.Schneid. (1 genus) Hymenophyllaceae Mart (9 genera) Hypodematiaceae Ching (2 genera) Lindsaeaceae C.Presl ex M.R.Schomb. (7 genera) Lomariopsidaceae Alston (4 genera) Lonchitidaceae Doweld (1 genus) Loxsomataceae C.Presl (2 genera) Lygodiaceae M.Roem (1 genus) Marattiaceae Kaulf (6 genera) Marsileaceae Mirb. (3 genera) Matoniaceae C.Pres (2 genera) Metaxyaceae Pic.Serm. (1 genus) Nephrolepidaceae Pic.Serm. (1 genus) Oleandraceae Ching ex Pic.Serm. (1 genus) Onocleaceae Pic.Serm. (4 genera) Ophioglossaceae Martinov (10 genera) Osmundaceae Martinov (6 genera) Plagiogyriaceae Bowe (1 genus) Polypodiaceae J.Presl & C.Presl (65 genera) Psilotaceae J.W.Griff. & Henfr. (2 genera) Pteridaceae E.D.M.Kirchn. (53 genera) Rhachidosoraceae X.C.Zhang (1 genus) Saccolomataceae Doweld (1 genus) Salviniaceae Martinov (2 genera) Schizaeaceae Kaulf (2 genera) Tectariaceae Panigrahi (7 genera) Thelypteridaceae Ching ex Pic.Serm. (30 genera) Thyrsopteridaceae C.Presl (1 genus) Woodsiaceae Herter (1 genus)

See also List of ferns of Georgia (U.S. state)

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of fern families

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of fern families claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of fern families before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of fern families ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of fern families

In research: List of fern families appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of fern families in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of fern families is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fern families, Fern florae, Ferns, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of fern families outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study List of fern families in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what List of fern families means in your own words.
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Frequently asked questions

What is List of fern families in simple terms?

Why does List of fern families matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of fern families?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of fern families.