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.

Status key: * indicates an introduced species and e indicates an extinct species.

Class Lycopodiopsida

Huperzia selago (northern clubmoss)

Order Lycopodiales

Family Lycopodiaceae (clubmosses)

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

Order Selaginellales

Family Selaginellaceae (spikemosses)

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

Order Isoetales

Family Isoetaceae (quillworts)

Isoetes lacustris (lake quillwort or Merlin's grass)

English name	Scientific name	Status
Quillwort	Isoetes lacustris
Spring quillwort	Isoetes echinospora
Land quillwort	Isoetes histrix

Class Polypodiopsida (ferns)

Order Equisetales

Family Equisetaceae (horsetails)

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

Order Ophioglossales

Family Ophioglossaceae (adder's-tongues)

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

Order Osmundales

Family Osmundaceae (royal ferns)

English name	Scientific name	Status
Royal fern	Osmunda regalis

Order Polypodiales (polypod ferns, cathetogyrates)

Family Pteridaceae (maidenhair fern family)

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

Family Hymenophyllaceae (filmy ferns, bristle ferns)

English name	Scientific name	Status
Tunbridge filmy-fern	Hymenophyllum tunbrigense
Wilson's filmy-fern	Hymenophyllum wilsonii
Killarney fern	Trichomanes speciosum

Family Polypodiaceae

English name	Scientific name	Status
Polypody	Polypodium vulgare
Intermediate polypody	Polypodium interjectum
Southern polypody	Polypodium cambricum
Kangaroo fern	Phymatosorus diversifolius	*

Family Dennstaedtiaceae (bracken family)

English name	Scientific name	Status
Bracken	Pteridium aquilinum

Family Thelypteridaceae (marsh ferns)

English name	Scientific name	Status
Marsh fern	Thelypteris palustris
Beech fern	Phegopteris connectilis
Lemon-scented fern	Oreopteris limbospermum

Family Aspleniaceae (spleenworts)

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

Family Woodsiaceae (cliff ferns)

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

Family Dryopteridaceae (wood ferns)

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

Order Salviniales

Family Marsileaceae (pepperworts)

English name	Scientific name	Status
Pillwort	Pilularia globulifera

Family Salviniaceae

English name	Scientific name	Status
Water fern	Azolla filiculoides	*

Order Cyatheales (tree ferns etc.)

Family Dicksoniaceae

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

Family Blechnaceae

English name	Scientific name	Status
Hard-fern	Blechnum spicant
Chilean hard-fern	Parablechnum cordatum	*

Notes

External links

Vascular plants of Great Britain and Ireland