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Ferns and Horsetails (Monilophytes)
Clubmosses and Quillworts (Lycophytes)
Matteuccia
Ostrich Ferns

Terrestrial, clump-forming medium to large ferns. Rhizome short, often producing stolons from which new plants develop, leaves in tufts, dimorphic; sterile fronds pinnate-pinnatifid or almost 2-pinnate, veins free; fertile fronds much shorter than sterile ones, 1-pinnate, brown, leathery, rolled to enclose sori.

Three species in Europe, Asia and North America. One species, introduced and naturalised in Britain and Ireland

* indicates introduced species.
Matteuccia struthiopteris* Ostrich Fern Matteuccia struthiopteris thumbnail, link to M. struthiopteris page
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