Blechnaceae
Hard Fern Family
The Blechnaceae family (Hard Fern Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Polypodiales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 2 species across 2 genera. Members range from herbs to climbing ferns. Well-represented genera include Blechnum and Stenochlaena. Familiar examples include Oriental Blechnum and swamp vine fern.
Browse all 2 species ↓
Stiff, leathery, once-divided fronds, often producing two visibly different frond types on the same plant — sterile, spreading fronds for photosynthesis and narrower, upright fertile fronds specialised for bearing spores.
As true ferns this family has no flowers or seeds — the clear split between separate sterile and fertile frond shapes on the same plant is a distinctive, easy-to-spot field mark.
Which Blechnaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Blechnaceae species.
To check whether a plant belongs to Blechnaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodNotable members
Families that can look similar
Pteridaceae
Compare against Pteridaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare PteridaceaePolypodiaceae
Compare against Polypodiaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare PolypodiaceaeDryopteridaceae
Compare against Dryopteridaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare DryopteridaceaeThelypteridaceae
Compare against Thelypteridaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare ThelypteridaceaeAll 2 species in BLECHNACEAE
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