Spot characters

I have created a table with characters typical for pteridophytes. This table can be used as a starting point to identify ferns you find in the field. It can be combined with the ditochomous keys I am adding on each genus page.

For each section below tick the spot-character which applies to your unknown plant. A list of taxa possessing all those characters will be shown.

Please note that this section of the site is still under construction: so far only characters for Adiantum, Antrophyum and Coniogramme have been added!!

 

 

Habit

Aquatic
Climbing
Epiphytic
Lithophyte or terrestrial

 

Fronds

Fronds clearly spaced apart
Fronds closely spaced
Fronds dimorphic
Fronds hemidimorphic
Fronds monomorphic
Fronds tufted

 

Frond shape

dichotomously branched
fan-shaped
outline very narrow and grass-like

 

Lamina

bipinnate
more divided (more than bipinnate)
pinnate
reduced or absent
simple
small scale-like

 

Sporangia

completely covering the undersurface of the lamina
in axils or at base of sporophylls
in cone or comblike structure
in sporocarps
marginal or submarginal on the undersurface of the leave
on the undersurface of the leave but not marginal/submarginal

 

Sori

cressend-shaped or semicircular
forming network
in bivalved sporangia
kidney-shaped
linear
rounded

 

Special characters

Plant with caudex
Plants proliferous
plants with indeterminate growth
plants with white or yellow powder
rhachis extended often ending in proliferous bud

 

 

No boxes ticked; please try again