Pteridophyte Collection

Archaeopteris hibernica, fossil plant
A fern-like plant, beautifully preserved in yellow sandstone from the Devonian, Kilkenny, Ireland. Specimen is 25 cms long

Tree ferns (Cyatheaceae) in Kells Bay Gardens, Ring of Kerry, Iveragh Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland, Europe. September 2015

Licuala sp
Plate 981 from the John Reeves Collection of Botanical Drawings from Canton, China. Held in the Botany Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Nothochloena marantoe
Penfold, Jane Wallas, 1845. Madeira Flowers, Fruits and Ferns. London: Reeve Brothers. Plate 4

Common horsetail spore, SEM
Common horsetail spore. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a spore of a common horsetail (Equisetum arvense) plant

Spores of field horsetail
False colour scanning electron micrograph of spores of the field horsetail, Equisetum arvense. The horsetail is the only living type of a primitive family of plants, the Sphenopsids

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest with Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) ground flora in autumn, Glenfeshie, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, October

Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) on fern. South of Casteil, Pyrenees Orientales, south west France. May

Scarletina bolete (Boletus luridiformis) toadstool, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK. September

Eagle fern (Pteridium aquilinum) frond unfurling, Montseny Natural Park, a UNESCO National Park and Biosphere Reserve, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, June 2016

Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) abstract, Isle of Mull, Scotland, UK. June

Hard fern (Blechnum spicant), two fiddleheads unfurling. Cornwall, England, UK. May

Women in ferns or Chain fern (Woodwardia radicans) in the laurel forest of the Anaga Massif Biosphere Reserve. Tenerife, Canary Islands

Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) male in partial display perched in Tree fern (Cyatheales) in wet eucalypt forest, Lakes Entrance Rainforest, Victoria, Australia

Moss-covered Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and sword fern (Polystichum munitum) in the Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA, June

Tree ferns (Cyatheales) in humid laurisilva forest. Natural Monument of Caldeira Velha, Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal

Fairy fern (Azolla filiculoides) and Water forget me not (Myosotis scorpioides) in frozen garden pond. Surrey, England, UK. January

Tree ferns in Whirinaki Forest Park, North Island, New Zealand

Adult Helmet Vanga (Euryceros prevostii) incubating a clutch of 3 eggs. Nest constructed in the fork of a Birds Nest Fern (Asplenium sp.) Masoala National Park, north east Madagascar

Limestone oak fern (Gymnocarpium robertianum) leaves, Saltoluokta area, Greater Laponia Rewilding Area, Lapland, Norrbotten, Sweden, June

RF - Harts tongue fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium) leaf unfurling and creating the shape of a heart, Cornwall, UK, May

Common oak fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris) leaves. Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. May

RBG18-3491
Wood Horsetail, Equisetum sylvaticum, with cones on fertile fronds. Boreal woodland. Date: 15-Apr-19

Oak tree (Quercus robur) growing among bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), autumn colour, The New Forest, Hampshire, UK. November 2016

Small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly (Boloria selene) roosting on Hard fern (Blechnum spicant) fiddlehead. Marsland Valley Wildlife Trusts Reserve, Cornwall, England, UK. June

Tree Fern (Cyathea sp.) detail, El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, southern Mexico, May

Heath fritillary (Mellicta athalia) butterfly basking on bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), Exmoor National Park, Devon, UK. June

Davallia canariensis (L. ) Sm. hares foot fern
Sketch 18, Newfoundland Volume. From a collection of original drawings and sketches by Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770). Held in the Botany Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Mariopteris muricata, seed fern
A leaf of a Carboniferous seed fern plant from Staffordshire

Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) close-up, Broxwater, Cornwall, UK, August

Two hard fern (Blechnum spicant) fronds uncurling, Coombe Valley, Cornwall, UK. May

Kaleidoscopic image of Bramble leaves (Rubus fruticosus) and bracken fronds changing colour in autumn, on white background

Frog (Rana temporaria) spawn amongst invasive Fairy fern (Azolla filiculoides) from garden pond. Photographed in aquarium, controlled conditions. Surrey, England, UK. March

Tree ferns, Lake Waikaremoana, Te Urewera National Park, North Island, New Zealand

Santa Cruz Island highlands with Puntudo spatter cone and lush vegetation with Cyathea treeferns and Miconia, Galapagos, Ecuador

France, Najac. Window in the Najac Castle

Tree ferns, Cyatheales, and other trees and vegetation in the montane rainforest, Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan province, China. May

RF - Harts tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) leaf unfurling, Broxwater, Cornwall, UK, April

Harts tongue fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium) leaf unfurling, Cornwall, UK, May

Gaoligongshan Tree Frog 1+Polypedates / Rhacophorus gongshanensis+2 in fern 1+Cibotium barometz+2 Gaoligongshan Mountains, Yunnan, China

RF- Backlit Fern (Philotum) growing among bluebells (Endymion nonscriptus). Lanhydrock, Cornwall, UK. May

RF - Small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene) butterfly, Marsland mouth, North Devon, UK. May

RF- Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta / Endymion scriptum) flowering in Broad buckler fern (Dryopteris dilatata), Hallerbos, Belgium. April

Glossopteris, fern fossil C016 / 4852
Glossopteris, fern fossil. This fossil plant has tongue-shaped leaves with a net-like arrangement of veins. This specimen is part of the collections held at the Natural History Museum, London, UK

Sporangia and spores of the male fern
Light micrograph of the sporangia (spore sacs) and spores of the male fern", Dryopteris filix-mas. The sporangia of Dryopteris are borne on the undersides of the leaf fronds in brown kidney

Protopteris punctata, fossil fern tree
A sandstone cast of a cyathacecus tree fern from Shaftesbury Dorset, presented by W. Batten

Neuropteris gigantea (Sternberg), Pteridosperm
Part of a frond of Neuropteris gigantea, an Upper Carboniferous plant, a Pteridosperm, from Coseley, near Bilston, west Midlands. Range; Genus, Carboniferous; Species, Westphalian

Cupressus sempervirens, Italian cypress
An illustration of (Cupressus sempervirens) the Italian cypress from the Botany Library Collection, the Natural History Museum, London

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Pteridophytes, the ancient group of plants that includes ferns and their relatives, have a rich history dating back millions of years. One notable fossil plant, Archaeopteris hibernica, provides evidence existence during the Devonian period. Today, we can still marvel at the beauty and diversity of these plants in various locations around the world. In Kells Bay Gardens on the Ring of Kerry in County Kerry, Ireland, majestic tree ferns from the Cyatheaceae family create a stunning display. Their elegant fronds reach towards the sky, adding an enchanting touch to this picturesque garden. Licuala sp. , with its fan-shaped leaves and vibrant green coloration, is another captivating member of this plant group. Its tropical allure transports us to lush rainforests where it thrives. Nothochloena marantoe showcases delicate fronds that gracefully sway in the breeze. This species demonstrates how they can thrive in diverse habitats worldwide. Examining horsetail spores under scanning electron microscopy reveals intricate details that are otherwise invisible to our naked eyes. The common horsetail and field horsetail exemplify nature's intricacy on a microscopic level. Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), a familiar sight in Scots pine forests during autumn, blankets the ground beneath towering trees with its feathery foliage. This symbiotic relationship between pines and bracken creates a breathtaking tapestry of colors as summer transitions into fall. The marsh fritillary butterfly (Euphydryas aurinia) finds solace among ferns in South Casteil within Pyrenees Orientales region. These insects rely on specific host plants like ferns for their survival—a testament to pteridophytes' importance within ecosystems.