Fern ally

Fern ally is a term for a diverse group of vascular plants that are neither flowering plants nor ferns and which reproduce by shedding spore to initiate an alternation of generations.

There are four main groups of plants considered to be "fern allies." In various classification schemes, these may be grouped as classes or divisions within the plant kingdom. The traditional classification scheme follows:

• Kingdom: Plantae
  • Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)
    • Class Lycopsida, fern-allies, the clubmosses and related plants
    • Class Sphenopsida (Equisetopsida), fern-allies, the horsetails and scouring-rushes
    • Class Psilopsida, fern-allies, the whiskbrooms[?]
    • Class Filices, the ferns
    • Seed plants (Class Spermatopsida or several different classes)

A newer classification scheme follows:

• Kingdom Plantae
  • Division Lycophyta, fern-allies
    • Class Lycopsida, the clubmosses
    • Class Selaginellopsida, the spikemosses
    • Class Isoëtopsida, the quillworts
  • Division Archeophyta, fern-allies
    • Class Sphenopsida, the horsetails and scouring-rushes
    • Class Psilopsida, the whiskbrooms[?]
    • Class Ophioglossopsida, the adders-tongues and grape-ferns[?]
  • Division Pteridophyta, the ferns
  • Seed plants (Division Spermatophyta or several different divisions)

Many botanists may regard the three classes of the Archeophyta as divisions in and of themselves. The ophioglossoids (Ophioglossopsida) were once thought to be ferns, but are now known to be distinct due to genetic studies.

External links

• Common Ferns And Fern-Ally Species (http://www.borealforest.org/ferns.htm)
• A Classification of the Ferns and Fern-Allies; uses frames (http://www.jaknouse.athens.oh.us/ferns/classfra.html)