pteridophyte

/təˈrɪdəˌfaɪt/

Other forms: pteridophytes

Definitions of pteridophyte

1. noun

   plants having vascular tissue and reproducing by spores
   synonyms: nonflowering plant

   types:

   fern

   any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

   fern ally

   pteridophytes of other classes than Filicopsida

   pecopteris

   Carboniferous fossil fern characterized by a regular arrangement of the leaflets resembling a comb

   film fern, filmy fern

   any fern of the genus Hymenophyllum growing in tropical humid regions and having translucent leaves

   bristle fern, filmy fern

   any fern of the genus Trichomanes having large pinnatifid often translucent fronds; most are epiphytic on tree branches and twigs or terrestrial on mossy banks

   flowering fern, osmund

   any fern of the genus Osmunda: large ferns with creeping rhizomes; naked sporangia are on modified fronds that resemble flower clusters

   Leptopteris superba, Prince-of-Wales feather, Prince-of-Wales fern, Prince-of-Wales plume, Todea superba, crape fern

   New Zealand with pinnate fronds and a densely woolly stalks; sometimes included in genus Todea

   Todea barbara, crepe fern, king fern

   fern of rain forests of tropical Australia and New Zealand and South Africa

   Schizaea pusilla, curly grass, curly grass fern

   rare small fern of northeastern North America having numerous slender spiraling fronds and forming dense tufts

   Anemia adiantifolia, pine fern

   fern of Florida and West Indies and Central America with rhizome densely clad in grown hairs

   climbing fern

   any of several ferns of the genus Lygodium that climb by twining

   Mohria caffrorum, scented fern

   sweetly scented African fern with narrow bipinnate fronds

   aquatic fern, water fern

   ferns that grow in water

   adder's tongue, adder's tongue fern

   ferns with fertile spikes shaped like a snake's tongue

   grape fern

   a fern of the genus Botrychium having a fertile frond bearing small grapelike clusters of spore cases

   Helminthostachys zeylanica, flowering fern

   Australasian fern with clusters of sporangia on stems of fertile fronds

   Diplopterygium longissimum, giant scrambling fern

   large scrambling fern forming large patches to 18 feet high; Pacific region and China

   Gleichenia flabellata, Sticherus flabellatus, fan fern, umbrella fern

   large Australasian fern with fanlike repeatedly forked fronds; sometimes placed in genus Gleichenia

   polypody

   any of numerous ferns of the genus Polypodium

   Aglaomorpha meyeniana, bear's-paw fern

   epiphytic fern with large fronds; Taiwan and Philippines

   strap fern

   fern with long narrow strap-shaped leaves

   Drynaria rigidula, basket fern

   giant epiphytic or lithophytic fern; Asia to Polynesia and Australia

   lecanopteris

   any of several bizarre ferns of the genus Lecanopteris having swollen hollow rhizomes that provide homes for symbiotic ants

   Microgramma-piloselloides, snake polypody

   epiphytic ferns with long rhizomes; tropical America

   Microsorium punctatum, climbing bird's nest fern

   tropical Africa to Australasia and Polynesia

   Phlebodium aureum, Polypodium aureum, golden polypody, rabbit's-foot fern, serpent fern

   tropical American fern with brown scaly rhizomes cultivated for its large deeply lobed deep bluish-green fronds; sometimes placed in genus Polypodium

   staghorn fern

   any of various tropical ferns of the genus Platycerium having large flat lobed fronds often resembling the antlers of a stag

   Cyclophorus lingua, Pyrrosia lingua, felt fern, tongue fern

   east Asian fern having fronds shaped like tongues; sometimes placed in genus Cyclophorus

   Solanopteris bifrons, potato fern

   small epiphytic fern of South America with tuberous swellings along rhizomes

   Vittaria lineata, grass fern, ribbon fern

   epiphytic fern found in lowland forests of tropical America

   spleenwort

   any of various chiefly rock-inhabiting ferns of the genus Asplenium

   Asplenium nidus, bird's nest fern

   tropical Old World or Australian epiphytic fern frequently forming tufts in tree crotches

   Asplenium scolopendrium, Phyllitis scolopendrium, hart's-tongue, hart's-tongue fern

   Eurasian fern with simple lanceolate fronds

   Asplenium ceterach, Ceterach officinarum, scale fern, scaly fern

   small European fern with chaffy leathery fronds

   Asplenium nigripes, Schaffneria nigripes, Scolopendrium nigripes

   a fern of the genus Schaffneria

   scolopendrium

   a fern thought to resemble a millipede

   hard fern

   any of several ferns of the genus Blechnum

   doodia, rasp fern

   any fern of the genus Doodia having pinnate fronds with sharply dentate pinnae

   chain fern

   a fern of the genus Woodwardia having the sori in chainlike rows

   tree fern

   any of numerous usually tropical ferns having a thick woody stem or caudex and a crown of large fronds; found especially in Australia and New Zealand; chiefly of the families Cyatheaceae and Marattiaceae but some from Polypodiaceae

   davallia

   any fern of the genus Davallia; having scaly creeping rhizomes

   Dennstaedtia punctilobula, boulder fern, hay-scented, hay-scented fern, scented fern

   fern of eastern North America with pale green fronds and an aroma like hay

   Pteridium aquilinum, bracken, brake, pasture brake

   large coarse fern often several feet high; essentially weed ferns; cosmopolitan

   Pteridium esculentum, bracken

   fern of southeastern Asia; not hardy in cold temperate regions

   Culcita dubia, false bracken

   resembles Pteridium aquilinum; of Queensland, Australia

   buckler fern, shield fern

   any of various ferns of the genera Dryopteris or Polystichum or Lastreopsis having somewhat shield-shaped coverings on the sori

   wood fern, wood-fern, woodfern

   any of various ferns of the genus Dryopteris

   Athyrium filix-femina, lady fern

   most widely grown fern of the genus Athyrium for its delicate foliage

   Athyrium pycnocarpon, Diplazium pycnocarpon, glade fern, narrow-leaved spleenwort, silvery spleenwort

   North American fern with narrow fronds on yellowish leafstalks

   Cyrtomium aculeatum, Polystichum aculeatum, holly fern

   tropical Old World fern having glossy fronds suggestive of holly; sometimes placed in genus Polystichum

   bladder fern

   any fern of the genus Cystopteris characterized by a hooded indusium or bladderlike membrane covering the sori

   Athyrium thelypteroides, Deparia acrostichoides, silvery spleenwort

   fern with elongate silvery outgrowths enclosing the developing spores

   Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Thelypteris dryopteris, oak fern

   bright blue-green fern widely distributed especially in damp acid woodlands of temperate northern hemisphere

   Gymnocarpium robertianum, limestone fern, northern oak fern

   yellow-green fern of rocky areas of northern hemisphere

   Matteuccia struthiopteris, Onoclea struthiopteris, Pteretis struthiopteris, fiddlehead, ostrich fern, shuttlecock fern

   tall fern of northern temperate regions having graceful arched fronds and sporophylls resembling ostrich plumes

   Olfersia cervina, Polybotria cervina, Polybotrya cervina, hart's-tongue, hart's-tongue fern

   tropical American terrestrial fern with leathery lanceolate fronds; sometimes placed in genus Polybotrya

   Onoclea sensibilis, bead fern, sensitive fern

   beautiful spreading fern of eastern North America and eastern Asia naturalized in western Europe; pinnately divided fronds show a slight tendency to fold when touched; pinnules enclose groups of sori in beadlike lobes

   Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, canker brake, dagger fern, evergreen wood fern

   North American evergreen fern having pinnate leaves and dense clusters of lance-shaped fronds

   holly fern

   any of various ferns of the genus Polystichum having fronds with texture and gloss like holly

   Polystichum adiantiformis, Rumohra adiantiformis, leather fern, leatherleaf fern, ten-day fern

   widely distributed fern of tropical southern hemisphere having leathery pinnatifid fronds

   Tectaria cicutaria, button fern

   Jamaican fern having round buttonlike bulbils

   Indian button fern, Tectaria macrodonta

   fern of tropical Asia having round buttonlike bulbils

   woodsia

   any fern of the genus Woodsia

   Oleandra mollis, Oleandra neriiformis, oleander fern

   tropical fern having leathery fronds resembling oleander; found from Asia to Polynesia

   sword fern

   any of several tropical ferns having more or less sword-shaped fronds including one from which the Boston fern developed

   Acrostichum aureum, golden fern, leather fern

   stout tropical swamp fern (especially tropical America) having large fronds with golden yellow sporangia covering the undersides

   maidenhair, maidenhair fern

   any of various small to large terrestrial ferns of the genus Adiantum having delicate palmately branched fronds

   Anogramma leptophylla, Jersey fern, annual fern

   small short-lived fern of Central and South America

   lip fern, lipfern

   any of various terrestrial ferns of the genus Cheilanthes; cosmopolitan in arid and semiarid temperate or tropical regions

   Cheilanthes gracillima, lace fern

   small tufted fern of northwestern America

   Coniogramme japonica, bamboo fern

   fast-growing sturdy Japanese fern; cultivated for their attractive broad dark-green pinnate fronds

   rock brake

   dwarf deciduous lithophytic ferns

   Doryopteris pedata, hand fern

   tropical American fern with coarsely lobed to palmatifid fronds

   cliff brake, cliff-brake, rock brake

   any of several small lithophytic ferns of tropical and warm temperate regions

   Pellaea rotundifolia, button fern

   fern of New Zealand and Australia having trailing fronds with dark green buttonlike leaflets

   Pityrogramma argentea, silver fern

   fern of southern tropical Africa having fronds with white undersides

   Pityrogramma calomelanos, silver fern

   tropical American fern having fronds with white undersides

   Pityrogramma calomelanos aureoflava, golden fern

   tropical American fern having fronds with light golden undersides

   Pityrogramma chrysophylla, gold fern

   fern of West Indies and South America having fronds with bright golden-yellow undersides

   brake

   any of various ferns of the genus Pteris having pinnately compound leaves and including several popular houseplants

   Pteris cretica

   cultivated in many varieties as houseplants

   Pteris multifida, spider brake, spider fern

   Asiatic fern introduced in America

   Pteris serrulata, ribbon fern, spider fern

   fern of North Africa and Azores and Canary Islands

   Marattia salicina, potato fern

   large Australasian evergreen fern with an edible rhizome sometimes used as a vegetable by indigenous people

   whisk fern

   chiefly tropical clump-forming plants of skeletal appearance resembling whisk brooms; lacking roots

   horsetail

   perennial rushlike flowerless herbs with jointed hollow stems and narrow toothlike leaves that spread by creeping rhizomes; tend to become weedy; common in northern hemisphere; some in Africa and South America

   club moss, club-moss, lycopod

   primitive evergreen moss-like plant with spores in club-shaped strobiles

   quillwort

   any of several spore-bearing aquatic or marsh plants having short rhizomes and leaves resembling quills; worldwide except Polynesia

   Dryopteris thelypteris, Thelypteris palustris, marsh fern

   fern having pinnatifid fronds and growing in wet places; cosmopolitan in north temperate regions

   christella

   any of several tropical ferns of the genus Christella having thin brittle fronds

   Dryopteris oreopteris, Oreopteris limbosperma, mountain fern

   common European mountain fern having fragrant lemon or balsam scented fronds

   Dryopteris noveboracensis, New York fern, Parathelypteris novae-boracensis

   slender shield fern of moist woods of eastern North America; sometimes placed in genus Dryopteris

   Massachusetts fern, Parathelypteris simulata, Thelypteris simulata

   delicate feathery shield fern of the eastern United States; sometimes placed in genus Thelypteris

   beech fern

   any fern of the genus Phegopteris having deeply cut triangular fronds

   type of:

   tracheophyte, vascular plant

   green plant having a vascular system: ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms