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Ferns and Horsetails (Monilophytes)
Clubmosses and Quillworts (Lycophytes)
Blechnum
Hard Ferns, Water Ferns

Rhizome scaly; leaves in tufts, more or less tough and leathery, usually evergreen, dimorphic (i.e. having fertile and non-fertile leaves of different shapes), pinnatifid to 1-pinnate, pinnae entire, veins free; sori on either side of midrib, usually joined into a single row, with indusium of the same shape as sorus.

Between 150 and 200 species worldwide, although the majority are from the southern hemisphere. One species native in Britain and Ireland; one (possibly more) species naturalised; and one (B. penna-marina) has been naturalised but not persisting.

* indicates introduced species.
Blechnum chilense* Chilean Hard Fern Blechnum chilense thumbnail, link to B. chilense page
Blechnum spicant Hard Fern Blechnum spicant thumbnail, link to B. spicant page
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