List of ferns and fern allies of Great Britain and Ireland

For the background to this list, see List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland.

This page's list covers the ferns and allies (Lycopodiopsida, Equisetopsida and Pteridopsida) found in Great Britain and Ireland. For the background to this list see parent article List of the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland.

Class Lycopodiopsida

Huperzia selago (northern clubmoss)

Order Lycopodiales

Family Lycopodiaceae (clubmosses)

English name Scientific name Status
Alpine clubmoss Diphasiastrum alpinum Native
Issler's clubmoss Diphasiastrum × issleri Native
Fir clubmoss Huperzia selago Native
Stag's-horn clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum Native
Hare's-foot clubmoss Lycopodium lagopus Native
Marsh clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata Native
Interrupted clubmoss Spinulum annotinum Native

Order Selaginellales

Family Selaginellaceae (spikemosses)

English name Scientific name Status
Krauss's clubmoss Selaginella kraussiana Introduced
Lesser clubmoss Selaginella selaginoides Native

Order Isoetales

Family Isoetaceae (quillworts)

Isoetes lacustris (lake quillwort or Merlin's grass)
English name Scientific name Status
Spring quillwort Isoetes echinospora Native
Land quillwort Isoetes histrix Native
Quillwort Isoetes lacustris Native

Class Polypodiopsida (ferns)

Order Equisetales

Family Equisetaceae (horsetails)

English name Scientific name Status
Field horsetail Equisetum arvense Native
Water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile Native
Rough horsetail Equisetum hyemale Native
Marsh horsetail Equisetum palustre Native
Shady horsetail Equisetum pratense Native
Branched horsetail Equisetum ramosissimum Introduced
Wood horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum Native
Great horsetail Equisetum telmateia Native
Variegated horsetail Equisetum variegatum Native

Order Ophioglossales

Family Ophioglossaceae (adder's-tongues)

English name Scientific name Status
Moonwort Botrychium lunaria Native
Small adder's-tongue Ophioglossum azoricum Native
Least adder's-tongue Ophioglossum lusitanicum Native
Southern adder's-tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum Native

Order Osmundales

Family Osmundaceae (royal ferns)

English name Scientific name Status
Royal fern Osmunda regalis Native

Order Polypodiales (polypod ferns, cathetogyrates)

Family Pteridaceae (maidenhair fern family)

English name Scientific name Status
Maidenhair fern Adiantum capillus-veneris Native
Parsley fern Cryptogramma crispa Native
Ribbon fern Pteris cretica Introduced

Family Hymenophyllaceae (filmy ferns, bristle ferns)

English name Scientific name Status
Tunbridge filmy-fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense Native
Wilson's filmy-fern Hymenophyllum wilsonii Native
Killarney fern Vandenboschia speciosa Native

Family Polypodiaceae

English name Scientific name Status
Southern polypody Polypodium cambricum Native
Intermediate polypody Polypodium interjectum Native
Polypody Polypodium vulgare Native
Kangaroo fern Zealandia pustulata Introduced

Family Dennstaedtiaceae (bracken family)

English name Scientific name Status
Bracken Pteridium aquilinum Native

Family Thelypteridaceae (marsh ferns)

English name Scientific name Status
Beech fern Phegopteris connectilis Native
Lemon-scented fern Thelypteris limbosperma Native
Marsh fern Thelypteris palustris Native

Family Aspleniaceae (spleenworts)

English name Scientific name Status
Black spleenwort Asplenium adiantum-nigrum Native
Rustyback Asplenium ceterach Native
Sea spleenwort Asplenium marinum Native
Lanceolate spleenwort Asplenium obovatum Native
Irish spleenwort Asplenium onopteris Native
Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria Native
Hart's-tongue Asplenium scolopendrium Native
Forked spleenwort Asplenium septentrionale Native
Maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes Native
Green spleenwort Asplenium viride Native

Family Woodsiaceae (cliff ferns)

English name Scientific name Status
Alpine lady-fern Athyrium distentifolium Native
Lady-fern Athyrium filix-femina Native
Newman's lady-fern Athyrium flexile Native
Dickie's bladder-fern Cystopteris dickieana Native
Brittle bladder-fern Cystopteris fragilis Native
Mountain bladder-fern Cystopteris montana Native
Oak fern Gymnocarpium dryopteris Native
Limestone fern Gymnocarpium robertianum Native
Ostrich fern Matteuccia struthiopteris Introduced
Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis Introduced
Alpine woodsia Woodsia alpina Native
Oblong woodsia Woodsia ilvensis Native

Family Dryopteridaceae (wood ferns)

English name Scientific name Status
House holly-fern Cyrtomium falcatum Introduced
Hay-scented buckler-fern Dryopteris aemula Native
Scaly male-fern Dryopteris affinis Native
Narrow buckler-fern Dryopteris carthusiana Native
Crested buckler-fern Dryopteris cristata Native
Broad buckler-fern Dryopteris dilatata Native
Northern buckler-fern Dryopteris expansa Native
Male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas Native
Rigid buckler-fern Dryopteris mindshelkensis Native
Mountain male-fern Dryopteris oreades Native
Scaly buckler-fern Dryopteris remota Extinct
Hard shield fern Polystichum aculeatum Native
Holly fern Polystichum lonchitis Native
Soft shield fern Polystichum setiferum Native

Order Salviniales

Family Marsileaceae (pepperworts)

English name Scientific name Status
Pillwort Pilularia globulifera Native

Family Salviniaceae

English name Scientific name Status
Water fern Azolla filiculoides Introduced

Order Cyatheales (tree ferns etc.)

Family Dicksoniaceae

English name Scientific name Status
Australian tree-fern Dicksonia antarctica Introduced

Family Blechnaceae

English name Scientific name Status
Chilean hard-fern Parablechnum cordatum Introduced
Hard-fern Struthiopteris spicant Native

See also

For all lists, see Category: Lists of vascular plants of the British Isles.

Notes

  • Jersey fern (Anogramma leptophylla) is present in the Channel Islands as a native species, but does not occur in Britain or Ireland.
  • Irish spleenwort (Asplenium onopteris) is native only to Ireland; it is represented in Britain only by an introduced population in North Wales.