Phylum Pteridophyta – Ferns & Horsetails

An Introduction to Pteridophyta: Ferns and Horsetails

Ferns and horsetails are ancient groups of vascular plants that have been around for hundreds of millions of years. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct characteristics and evolutionary histories. Pteridophytes are amongs the first of the plants to truly live on land. The phylum Pteridophyta not only includes the ferns and horsetails, but also the quillworts and clubmosses. There are 60 species of fern in Britain, 9 horsetails, 3 quillworts and 6 clubmosses.

Pteridophyta are seedless, vascular plants that show true alternation of generations. Furthermore, the sporophyte has true roots, stems and leaves. They reproduce by spores, which are developed in sporangia. They may be homosporous (having one kind spore only) or heterosporous (having more than one kind of spore).

Both ferns and horsetails have a long evolutionary history and are considered primitive vascular plants. They played important roles in prehistoric ecosystems and continue to contribute to the biodiversity and ecological functioning of modern ecosystems. Additionally, ferns and horsetails have cultural significance in various societies and have been used for medicinal, culinary, and ornamental purposes throughout human history.

Class Equisetopsida (Horsetails)

Horsetails are characterized by jointed, hollow stems with whorls of thin, needle-like leaves arising from each joint. Horsetails reproduce both sexually, via spores produced in cone-like structures called strobili, and vegetatively, through rhizomes. Horsetails are often found in wet habitats, such as marshes, stream banks, and disturbed areas. They are considered living fossils, as they are one of the oldest lineages of land plants still in existence today.

Family Equisetaceae (Horsetails)

Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) — Field Horsetail
*Equisetum arvense*

Wood Horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum) — Wood Horsetail
*Equisetum sylvaticum*

Great Horsetail (Equisetum telmateia) — Great Horsetail
*Equisetum telmateia*

Water Horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) — Water Horsetail
*Equisetum fluviatile*

Class Polypodiopsida (Ferns)

Ferns are known for their large, compound leaves called fronds. These fronds typically arise from a rhizome, an underground stem-like structure. Ferns reproduce via spores, which are produced in structures called sporangia located on the undersides of the fronds. When mature, the sporangia release spores into the environment, where they can germinate and develop into new fern plants. Ferns are found in a wide range of habitats, from moist, shady forests to arid deserts, and they play important roles in ecosystems as soil stabilizers and habitat providers.

Family Dennstaedtiaceae (Bracken Ground Ferns)

Common Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) — Common Bracken
*Pteridium aquilinum*

Family Aspleniaceae (Spleenworts)

Hart’s-tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) — Hart’s-tongue Fern
*Asplenium scolopendrium*

Rustyback (Asplenium ceterach) — Rustyback
*Asplenium ceterach*

Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) — Maidenhair Spleenwort
*Asplenium trichomanes*

Wall-rue Spleenwort (Asplenium ruta-muraria) — Wall-rue Spleenwort
*Asplenium ruta-muraria*

Family Dryopteridaceae (Wood Ferns)

Broad Buckler Fern (Dryopteris austriaca) — Broad Buckler Fern
*Dryopteris dilatata*

Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) — Male Fern
*Dryopteris filix-mas*

Family Polypodiaceae (Common Ferns)

Common Polypody (Polypodium vulgare) — Common Polypody
*Polypodium vulgare*

Recommended Reading
Britains Ferns, James Merryweather, 2020. Princeton University Press (Princeton WILDGuides).
The Fern Guide, James Merryweather, 2007. Field Studies Council (AIDGAP).

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