326 articles
Pleopeltis
Pleopeltis, a genus of about 96 polypody ferns (Polypodiaceae) native to the Americas, Africa, and Asia, includes the resurrection fern Pleopeltis polypodioides, which survives 95% water loss and revives within hours of rehydration.
Pleopeltis polypodioides
Pleopeltis polypodioides, the resurrection fern (syn. Polypodium polypodioides), is an epiphytic Polypodiaceae fern from S. Mexico to Tropical America that tolerates 95% water loss and revives within hours of rehydration.
Polyphlebium venosum
Polyphlebium venosum (R.Br.) Copel., veined bristle fern or veined filmy fern, a Hymenophyllaceae filmy fern of SE Australia and New Zealand; translucent fronds, trumpet-shaped indusia, epiphytic on Dicksonia antarctica; basionym Trichomanes venosum R.Br. 1810.
Polypodiaceae
Polypodiaceae, the polypody family, is the largest fern family, about 65 genera and 1,650 species (over 4,000 with former Dryopteridaceae genera), cosmopolitan, mostly tropical, with creeping rhizomes, no indusium, and many epiphytes.
Polypodiales
Polypodiales, the polypod ferns, is the largest order of leptosporangiate ferns in class Polypodiopsida, about 82% of fern species, with six PPG suborders and a cavitation-catapult annulus for spore release.
Polypodium
Polypodium (polypody ferns), family Polypodiaceae, published by Linnaeus in 1753; creeping-rhizome epiphytic ferns with exindusiate sori, native from temperate Northern Hemisphere to Tropical America and Africa, about 225 species broadly, 46 accepted.
Polypodium glycyrrhiza
Polypodium glycyrrhiza, the licorice fern, is a Pacific Rim epiphytic fern of Polypodiaceae from Kamchatka and Alaska to California, summer deciduous on mossy bigleaf maples, with a sweet polypodoside rhizome chewed by Indigenous peoples.
Polypodium vulgare
Polypodium vulgare (common polypody) is a temperate fern of Polypodiaceae, type species of Polypodium, described by Linnaeus in 1753; an allotetraploid restricted to Europe, with rhizome used as a traditional EMA-listed expectorant.
Polystichum
Polystichum (hollyfern, shield fern) is a cosmopolitan fern genus of Dryopteridaceae with roughly 400-500 species, evergreen fronds, and single-row sori with peltate indusia; most diverse in East Asia.
Polystichum acrostichoides
Polystichum acrostichoides, the Christmas fern, is an evergreen Dryopteridaceae fern native from eastern Canada to northeastern Mexico. Dimorphic fronds, winter leaf prostration, spores June–October, common shade-garden ornamental.
Polystichum munitum
Polystichum munitum, western swordfern, is an evergreen Dryopteridaceae fern of Pacific Coast forests from Alaska to Baja California, with 0.3-1.2 m toothed fronds, single-row sori, and close relation to P. imbricans.
Prothallus
Prothallus (plural prothalli): the small, green, heart-shaped free-living gametophyte of ferns, bearing antheridia and archegonia; homosporous ferns allow gametophytic selfing, and fertilization requires water for flagellate sperm.
Psilotum
Psilotum, the whisk ferns, a genus of two rootless, leafless vascular plants (P. nudum, P. complanatum) in Psilotaceae, native to tropics and subtropics, now placed within the ferns near Ophioglossaceae.
Psilotum complanatum
Psilotum complanatum (flatfork fern, moa nahele), a flattened-stemmed whisk fern of Psilotaceae from tropical America, Asia, and the Pacific; now treated as the hybrid Psilotum x complanatum between P. nudum and P. flaccidum.
Psilotum nudum
Psilotum nudum (whisk fern, moa in Hawaii) is a rootless, leafless eusporangiate fern of Psilotaceae with forked aerial shoots and three-fused sporangia (synangia), pantropical in distribution, once called a living fossil but now placed near Ophioglossaceae within true ferns.
Pteridaceae
Pteridaceae, the maidenhair fern family (syn. Adiantaceae, Vittariaceae, Parkeriaceae), is a monophyletic fern family of over 1000 species in five subfamilies (PPG I 2016), defined by pseudoindusia, trilete spores, and x = 29 or 30 chromosomes.
Pteridium
Pteridium (bracken, bracken fern), genus of Dennstaedtiaceae ferns; cosmopolitan, 20 accepted species, two diploid species P. aquilinum and P. esculentum; toxic, ptaquiloside carcinogen, IARC Group 2B, invasive weed.
Pteridium aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern), Dennstaedtiaceae, is a rhizomatous fern native from Macaronesia and Africa to Siberia and Iran. It contains the carcinogen ptaquiloside, poisons livestock, and contaminates milk and water.
Pteridomania
Pteridomania, or fern fever, was the Victorian passion for collecting and growing ferns that swept Britain between 1837 and 1914, coined by Charles Kingsley in 1855.
Pteridophyte
Pteridophyte, informal term for free-sporing vascular plants, comprising lycophytes and ferns; spore reproduction, independent gametophyte and sporophyte; PPG I 2016 recognizes 11,916 species, 337 genera, 51 families, 14 orders, two classes.
Pteris
Pteris is a genus of brake ferns comprising 200 to 349 species across all continents except Antarctica. It is scientifically significant for its arsenic-hyperaccumulating species, Pteris vittata.
Pteris vittata
Pteris vittata, Chinese brake or ladder brake fern (Pteridaceae), first discovered natural arsenic hyperaccumulator, native to the Old World tropics, used for phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated soils and groundwater.
Regional distribution of Pteridaceae
Pteridaceae, the maidenhair and brake fern family, is a near-cosmopolitan family of roughly 1,000 to 1,200 species, most diverse in the tropics and deserts, with Brazil holding 207 species.
Regional fern floras
Regional fern floras are systematic written treatments of the fern and lycophyte species of a defined area, summarizing their classification, distribution, and endemism so plants can be identified.
Sadleria
Sadleria (ʻamaʻu, ʻamaʻumaʻu) is a genus of six endemic Hawaiian tree ferns in Blechnaceae, base number x=33, named for Hungarian fern botanist Joseph Sadler; used by Hawaiians for thatch, kapa dye, and famine food.
Salvinia
Salvinia, watermoss or water spangles, a genus of free-floating aquatic ferns; giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta, Kariba weed) is a sterile hybrid invasive weed doubling in 7–10 days, controlled by Cyrtobagous salviniae weevils, and its egg-beater leaf hairs inspire the Salvinia effect in biomimetics.
Salvinia effect
The Salvinia effect, also called the Salvinia paradox, is the persistent retention of an air layer on a surface submerged in water, named for the floating fern Salvinia.
Salvinia in aquaria and cultivation
Salvinia in aquaria and cultivation covers growing floating Salvinia ferns in tanks and ponds, including which species are actually sold, light and nutrient needs, and restrictions on giant salvinia.
Salvinia invasions and control
Salvinia invasions are the uncontrolled spread of floating ferns, above all giant salvinia, which forms dense mats that block navigation and are controlled chemically, mechanically, and with weevils.
Salvinia molesta
Salvinia molesta (giant salvinia, Kariba weed) is a sterile, free-floating aquatic fern from southeastern Brazil that reproduces vegetatively, doubles biomass in days, forms mats up to 1 m thick, and is controlled worldwide by the weevil Cyrtobagous salviniae.