List of ferns and fern allies of Great Britain and Ireland explained

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

Order Lycopodiales

Family Lycopodiaceae (clubmosses)

English name Scientific name Status
Alpine clubmossDiphasiastrum alpinum Native
Issler's clubmossDiphasiastrum × issleri Native
Fir clubmossHuperzia selago Native
Stag's-horn clubmossLycopodium clavatum Native
Marsh clubmossLycopodiella inundata Native
Interrupted clubmossSpinulum annotinumNative

Order Selaginellales

Family Selaginellaceae (spikemosses)

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

Order Isoetales

Family Isoetaceae (quillworts)

English name Scientific name Status
Spring quillwortIsoetes echinosporaNative
Land quillwortIsoetes histrix Native
QuillwortIsoetes lacustris Native

Class Polypodiopsida (ferns)

Order Equisetales

Family Equisetaceae (horsetails)

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

Order Ophioglossales

Family Ophioglossaceae (adder's-tongues)

English name Scientific name Status
MoonwortBotrychium lunariaNative
Small adder's-tongueOphioglossum azoricumNative
Least adder's-tongueOphioglossum lusitanicumNative
Southern adder's-tongueOphioglossum vulgatumNative

Order Osmundales

Family Osmundaceae (royal ferns)

Order Polypodiales (polypod ferns, cathetogyrates)

Family Pteridaceae (maidenhair fern family)

English name Scientific name Status
Maidenhair fernAdiantum capillus-veneris Native
Parsley fernCryptogramma crispa Native
Ribbon fernPteris cretica Introduced

Family Hymenophyllaceae (filmy ferns, bristle ferns)

English name Scientific name Status
Tunbridge filmy-fernHymenophyllum tunbrigense Native
Wilson's filmy-fernHymenophyllum wilsonii Native
Killarney fernVandenboschia speciosaNative

Family Polypodiaceae

English name Scientific name Status
Southern polypodyPolypodium cambricum Native
Intermediate polypodyPolypodium interjectum Native
PolypodyPolypodium vulgare Native
Kangaroo fernZealandia pustulataIntroduced

Family Thelypteridaceae (marsh ferns)

English name Scientific name Status
Beech fernPhegopteris connectilis Native
Lemon-scented fernThelypteris limbospermaNative
Marsh fernThelypteris palustris Native

Family Aspleniaceae (spleenworts)

English name Scientific name Status
Black spleenwortAsplenium adiantum-nigrum Native
RustybackAsplenium ceterach Native
Sea spleenwortAsplenium marinum Native
Lanceolate spleenwortAsplenium obovatum Native
Irish spleenwortAsplenium onopteris Native
Wall-rueAsplenium ruta-muraria Native
Hart's-tongueAsplenium scolopendrium Native
Forked spleenwortAsplenium septentrionale Native
Maidenhair spleenwortAsplenium trichomanes Native
Green spleenwortAsplenium 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 mindshelkensisNative
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

Family Salviniaceae

Order Cyatheales (tree ferns etc.)

Family Blechnaceae

English name Scientific name Status
Chilean hard-fernParablechnum cordatum Introduced
Hard-fernStruthiopteris spicantNative

Notes