Maine Biota Project

Ferns, Horsetails, and Scouring Rushes of Maine

(Kingdom Plantae, Monilophytes)


Below is a working list of Maine’s ferns, horsetails, and scouring rushes. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow Flora Novae Angliae by Arthur Haines (2011, Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-17154-9). For more information about a particular species, click on the link under the heading “Common Name”, and you will be taken to a page for the family that includes that species.
Family Genus Species Authority Sub-species Authority Common Name Notes
Aspleniaceae Asplenium platyneuron (L.) Britton mountain spleenwort
Aspleniaceae Asplenium rhizophyllum L. walking spleenwort
Aspleniaceae Asplenium trichomanes L. ssp. trichomanes   maidenhair spleenwort
Aspleniaceae Asplenium viride Huds. green spleenwort
Blechnaceae Woodwardia aereolata (L.) T. Moore     netted chain fern
Blechnaceae Woodwardia virginica (L.) Smith     Virginia chain fern
Dennstaedtiaceae Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) T. Moore     eastern hay-scented fern
Dennstaedtiaceae Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn ssp. latiusculum (Desv.) Hultén bracken fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris campyloptera (Kunze) Clarkson     mountain wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H. P. Fuchs     spinulose wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris clintoniana (D. C. Eat.) Dowell     Clinton’s wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris cristata (L.) Gray     crested wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott ssp. brittonii Fras.-Jenk. & Widen Clinton’s wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris fragrans (L.) Schott     fragrant wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris goldiana (Hook. ex Goldie) Gray     Goldie’s wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris intermedia (Muhl. ex Willd.) Gray     evergreen wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Dryopteris marginalis (L.) Gray     marginal wood fern
Dryopteridaceae Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott     Christmas fern
Dryopteridaceae Polystichum braunii (Spenner) Fée     Braun’s holly fern
Equisetaceae Equisetum arvense L.     field horsetail
Equisetaceae Equisetum fluviatile L.     river horsetail
Equisetaceae Equisetum hyemale L. ssp. affine (Engelm.) Calder & Taylor tall scouring rush
Equisetaceae Equisetum palustre L. marsh horsetail
Equisetaceae Equisetum pratense Ehrh. meadow horsetail
Equisetaceae Equisetum scirpoides Michx. dwarf scouring-rush
Equisetaceae Equisetum sylvaticum L.     wood horsetail
Equisetaceae Equisetum variegatum Schleicher ex F. Weber & D. Mohr ssp. variegatum variegated scouring-rush
Marsileaceae Marsilea quadrifolia L. European water-clover
Onocleaceae Matteuccia struthiopteris (L) Todaro ssp. pensylvanica (Willd.) A. & D. Love fiddlehead fern
Onocleaceae Onoclea sensibilis L.     sensitive fern
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium angustisegmentum (Pease & Moore) Fern.     narrow triangle moonwort
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium dissectum Spreng.     dissected grapefern
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium lunaria (L.) Sw.     common moonwort
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium matricariifolium (Doll) A. Braun ex Koch     dissected grapefern
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium minganense Victorin     Mingan moonwort
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium multifidum (Gmel.) Rupr.     leathery grapefern
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium oneidense (Gilbert) House     blunt-lobed grapefern
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium pallidum W. H. Wagner     pale moonwort
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium simplex E. Hitchc.     least moonwort
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium tenebrosum A. A. Eat.     swamp moonwort
Ophioglossaceae Botrychium virginianum (L.) Sw.     rattlesnake fern
Ophioglossaceae Ophioglossum pusillum Raf.     northern adder’s-tongue fern
Osmundaceae Osmunda claytoniana L.     interrupted fern
Osmundaceae Osmunda regalis L. var. spectabilis (Willd.) Gray royal fern
Osmundaceae Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (L.) C. Presl     cinnamon fern
Polypodiaceae Polypodium appalachianum Haufler & Windham     Appalachian polypody
Polypodiaceae Polypodium virginianum L.     rock polypody
Pteridaceae Adiantum aleuticum (Rupr.) Paris     western maidenhair fern
Pteridaceae Adiantum pedatum L.     northern maidenhair fern
Pteridaceae Adiantum viridimontanum Paris     Green Mountain maidenhair fern
Pteridaceae Cryptogramma stelleri (Gmel.) Prantl     slender rock-brake
Thelypteridaceae Parathelypteris noveboracensis (L.) Ching     New York fern
Thelypteridaceae Parathelypteris simulata (Davenport) Holttum     Massachusetts fern
Thelypteridaceae Phegopteris connectilis (Michx.) Watt     long beech fern
Thelypteridaceae Phegopteris hexagonoptera (Michx.) Fée     broad beech fern
Thelypteridaceae Thelypteris palustris Schott var. pubescens (Lawson) Fern. marsh fern
Woodsiaceae Athyrium angustum (Willd.) C. Presl     narrow lady fern
Woodsiaceae Cystopteris bulbifera (L.) Bernh.     bulbil fragile fern
Woodsiaceae Cystopteris fragilis (L.) Bernh.     fragile fern
Woodsiaceae Cystopteris tenuis (Michx.) Desv.     Mackay’s fragile fern
Woodsiaceae Deparia acrostichoides (Sw.) M. Kato     silvery false spleenwort
Woodsiaceae Gymnocarpium dryopteris (L.) Newman     northern oak fern
Woodsiaceae Woodsia alpina (Bolton) S. F. Gray     northern rusty cliff fern
Woodsiaceae Woodsia glabella R. Br. ex Richards.     smooth cliff fern
Woodsiaceae Woodsia ilvensis (L.) R. Br.     rusty cliff fern
Woodsiaceae Woodsia obtusa (Spreng.) Torr. ssp. obtusa   blunt-lobed cliff fern


Thank you to Kevin Stone for their contributions to this page.