Blechnaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Its status as a family and the number of genera included have both varied considerably. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016, the family has 24 genera, and excludes genera placed in the separate family Onocleaceae. The family is divided into three subfamilies, including Blechnoideae s.s. Alternatively, the entire family may be treated as the subfamily Blechnoideae s.l. of a very broadly defined family Aspleniaceae, and include genera others place in Onocleaceae.
Water fern is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
Blechnum, known as hard fern, is a genus of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, subfamily Blechnoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016. Two very different circumscriptions of the genus are used by different authors. In the PPG I system, based on Gasper et al. (2016), Blechnum is one of 18 genera in the subfamily Blechnoideae, and has about 30 species. Other sources use a very broadly defined Blechnum s.l., including accepting only two other genera in the subfamily. The genus then has about 250 species. In the PPG I circumscription, the genus is mostly neotropical, with a few southern African species.
Blechnum petiolare is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador and known only from Bolívar Province. When it was first described in the early 20th century, it was known from Chillanes but this area has been heavily disturbed and the species continues to be threatened.
Austroblechnum divergens, synonyms including Blechnum divergens, Blechnum rimbachii and Blechnum floresii, is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae.
Cranfillia fluviatilis, synonym Blechnum fluviatile, is a fern known in the Māori language as kiwikiwi. A herbaceous plant, C. fluviatilis is a "hard fern" of the genus Cranfillia in the family Blechnaceae. It was identified by Patrick Brownsey in 1979. Other common names are star fern, creek fern, kawakawa and kiwakiwa.
Doodia media, also known as rasp fern, is a fern species in the family Blechnaceae. The species was formally described by botanist Robert Brown in 1810. Distribution of the species includes New Zealand's North Island and the upper part of the South Island. It is also found in Australia and Lord Howe Island.
Austroblechnum leyboldtianum, synonym Blechnum blechnoides, known as iquide in Chilean Spanish, is a fern species endemic to Chile.
Austroblechnum durum, synonym Blechnum durum, is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae. The fern is endemic to New Zealand.
Austroblechnum lanceolatum, synonym Blechnum chambersii, is a species of fern within the family Blechnaceae, found in Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji.
Austroblechnum penna-marina, synonym Blechnum penna-marina, known as Antarctic hard-fern, alpine water fern and pinque, is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae, with a natural range from the Araucanía Region to the south and from the coast to the tree line of the Magellanic forests in Chile and adjacent areas of Argentina. It is also found in New Zealand, Australia and some Pacific islands. It is evergreen and grows to 20 cm (8 in).
Victoria, Australia contains approximately 32,000 hectares of temperate rainforest in various regions, which represents 0.14% of the State's total area. The areas with rainforest include: East Gippsland, Strzelecki Ranges, Wilsons Promontory, Central Highlands, and Otway Ranges. The rainforests vary between cool temperate, warm temperate, and mixed cool temperate.
Austroblechnum colensoi, synonym Blechnum colensoi, also known as Colenso's hard fern, waterfall fern or peretao is a species of fern native to New Zealand. It is distributed throughout the North, South and Stewart Islands.
Cranfillia fullagari, synonym Blechnum fullagarii, is a fern in the family Blechnaceae. The specific epithet honours James Fullagar, who collected plants on Lord Howe Island for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.
Cranfillia geniculata, synonym Blechnum geniculatum, is a fern in the family Blechnaceae. The specific epithet refers to the geniculate base of the sterile fronds.
Parablechnum howeanum, synonym Blechnum howeanum, is a fern in the family Blechnaceae. The specific epithet refers to the locality to which it is endemic.
Austroblechnum is a genus of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, subfamily Blechnoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016. The genus is accepted in a 2016 classification of the family Blechnaceae, but other sources sink it into a very broadly defined Blechnum, equivalent to the whole of the PPG I subfamily.
Blechnum occidentale is a fern in the family Blechnaceae. Its native range is from Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to tropical South America.
Austroblechnum lehmannii is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, South America and the Galápagos Islands.
