ENVIS Centre, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India

Printed Date: Friday, March 29, 2024

Pteridophytes in India(Family and Genera)

List of families and genera of Pteridophytes in India  

 

The Pteridophytes are non-flowering, vascular and spore-bearing plants including ferns and fern-allies. They form a conspicuous element of the earth’s vegetation and are important from evolutionary point of view as they show the evolution of vascular system and reflect the emergence of seed habitat in the plants. About 250 million years ago they were the dominant part of earth’s vegetation, but they were largely replaced by the seed bearing plants. The species of the Pteridophytes grow luxuriantly in moist tropical and temperate forests and their occurrence in different eco-geographically threatened regions from sea level to the highest mountains are of much interest (Dixit, 2000). This plant group forms a connecting link between non-vascular lower group plants and the higher group seed bearing plants. The Pteridophytes comprises over 300 genera and about 12,000 species and in India by almost 1000 species, of which 47 are endemic to India (Jenkins, 2008) and some of these species are placed under RET category.. Several species of the Pteridophytes possess medicinal properties and indeed, ferns’ medicinal qualities were recorded as early as 300 B.C. by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus and his Indian contemporaries Sushrut and Charak. The species of the genus Azolla Lam. show symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing, blue-green algae, Anabaena azollae Strasburger. Due to this property, the Azolla is used as bio-fertilizer by the Agronomist in  rice fields in many countries including India.

 

LIST OF FAMILIES AND GENERA OF INDIAN PTERIDOPHYTES

Family

Genera

Lycopodiaceae

1.         Huperzia Bernh.

2.         Lycopodiella Holub

3.         Locypodium L.

Selaginellaceae

1.         Selaginella P. Beauv.

Equisetaceae

1.         Equisetum L.

Psilotaceae

1.         Psilotum Sw. Schrad.

Isoetaceae

1.         Isoetes L.

Ophioglossaceae

1.         Helminthostachys Kaulf.

2.         Ophioglossum L.

3.         Botrychium Sw. Schard.

Marattiaceae

1.         Angiopteris Hoffm.

2.         Christensenia Maxon

3.         Marrattia Sw.

Osmundaceae

1.         Osmunda L.

Plagiogyriaceae

1.         Plagiogyria (Kunze) Mett.

Schizaeaceae

1.         Anemia Sw.

2.         Lygodium Sw.

3.         Schizaea Sm.

Marseliaceae

1.         Marsilea L.

Gleicheniaceae

1.         Dicranopteris Bernh.

2.         Gleichenia J. Sm.

Dipteridaceae

1.         Dipteris Reinw.

Polypodiaceae

1.         Arthromeris (Moore) J. Sm.

2.         Drynaria (Bory) J. Sm.

3.         Goniophlebium Presl

4.         Lemmaphyllum C. Presl

5.         Lepisorus (J. Sm.) Ching

6.         Leptochilus Kaulf.

7.         Loxogramme (Blume) Presl.

8.         Microgramma C. Presl.

 

Family

Genera

Polypodiaceae (Contd…)

9.         Microsorum Link

10.     Neocheiropteris Christ

11.     Pichisermollodes Fras.-Jenk. & Challis

12.     Phelebodium (R.Br.)J.Smith

13.     Phymatosorus Pic. Ser.

14.     Platycerium Desv.

15.     Pleopeltis Humb. & Bontl. ex Willd.

16.     Polypodium L.

17.     Polypodiodes Ching

18.     Pyrrosia Mirb.

19.     Selliguea Bory

20.     Thylacopteris Kunze ex J. Sm.

21.     Tricholepidium Ching

Grammitidaceae

1.         Ctenopterella Parris

2.         Micropolypodium Hayata

3.         Oreogrammitis Copel.

4.         Prosaptia Presl.

5.         Scleroglossum V. Ald. & V. Ros.

6.         Tomophyllum (E. Fourn.) Parris

Hymenophyllaceae

1.         Hymenophyllum Sm.

2.         Trichomanes Bubani

Dicksoniaceae

1.         Cibotium Kaulf.

Cyatheaceae

1.         Cyathea Sm.

Dennstaedtiaceae

1.         Dennstaedtia Bernh.

2.         Histiopteris (Agardh) J. Sm.

3.         Hypolepis Bernh.

4.         Microlepia Presl

5.         Pteridium Gled. ex Scop

Lindsaeaceae

1.         Lindsaea Dryand. ex Sm.

2.         Odontosoria Fée

3.         Tapeinidium (Presl) C. Chr.

 

Family

Genera

Pteridaceae

1.         Acrostichum L.

2.         Actiniopteris Link.

3.         Aleuritopteris Fée

4.         Anogramma Link

5.         Ceratopteris Ad. Brongn.

6.         Cerosora Baker.

7.         Cheilanthes Sw.

8.         Coniogramme Fée

9.         Cryptogramma R. Br.

10.     Doryopteris J.Smith

11.     Notholaena R. Br.

12.     Parahemionitis Panigrahi

13.     Onychium Kaulf.

14.     Pellaea Link.

15.     Pityrogramma Link

16.     Pteris L.

17.     Taenitis Willd. ex Schkuhr.

Adiantaceae

1.         Adiantum L.

Vittariaceae

1.         Antrophyum Kaulfuss.

2.         Vittaria J.E. Sm.

Aspleniaceae

1.         Asplenium L.

Thelypteridaceae

1.         Thelypteris Schmid.

Woodsiaceae

1.         Acystopteris Nakai

2.         Athyrium Roth

3.         Cornopteris Nakai

4.         Cystopteris Bernh.

5.         Deparia Hook. &Grev.

6.         Diplazium Sw.

7.         Gymnocarpium Newm.

8.         Hypodematium Kunze

 

 

Family

Genera

Woodsiaceae (Contd…)

9.         Matteuccia Tod.

10.     Woodsia R. Br.

Dryopteridaceae

1.         Acrorumohra (Ito) Ito

2.         Arachniodes Blume

3.         Ctenitis (C. Chr.) C. Chr.

4.         Cyrtomium Presl.

5.         Didymochlaena Desv.

6.         Dryopsis Holttum& P.J. Edwards

7.         Dryopteris Adanson

8.         Heterogonium C. Presl.

9.         Lastreopsis Ching

10.     Nothoperanema (Tagawa) Ching

11.     Peranema D. Don

12.     Pleocnemia Presl

13.     Polystichum Roth

14.     Pteridrys C. Chr.

15.     Tectaria Cav.

Oleandraceae

1.         Arthropteris J. Sm. ex Hook.

2.         Nephrolepis Schott.

3.         Oleandra Cav.

Lomariopsidaceae

1.         Bolbitis Schott

2.         Elaphoglossum Schott ex J. Sm.

3.         Lomagramma J. Sm.

Davalliaceae

1.         Araiostegia Copel.

2.         Araiostegiella M.Kato & Tsutsumi

3.         Davallia Sm.

4.         Gymnogrammitis Griff

5.         Leucostegia Presl.

 

 

 

 

Family

Genera

Blechnaceae

1.         Blechnum L.

2.         BraineaJ . Sm.

3.         Doodia R. Br.

4.         Stenochlaena J. Sm.

5.         Woodwardia J. E. Smith

Azollaceae

1.         Azolla Lam.

Salviniaceae

2.         Salvinia Séguier

 

Source: 

1.      Fraser-Jenkins, C.R. 2008. Taxonomic Revision of Three Hundred Indian subcontinental Pteridophytes with a revised census-list (A new picture of fern-taxonomy and nomenclature in the Indian subcontinent). Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun.

2.      Dixit, R.D. 1984. A. census of the Indian Pteridophytes. Botanical Survey of India, Howrah.