Pteris

''Pteris'' (brake) is a genus of about 300 species of ferns in the subfamily Pteridoideae of the family Pteridaceae. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions, southward to New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, north to Japan and North America. 78 species (35 endemic) are found in China. Some species of Pteris have considerable economic and ecological value, such as Pteris multifida, Pteris ensiformis, Pteris vittata can be used for ornamental purposes; as a hyperaccumulator, Pteris multifida and Pteris vittata can be used to control soil pollution.

Many of them have linear frond segments, and some have sub-palmate division. Like other members of the Pteridaceae, the frond margin is reflexed over the marginal sori. The outermost layer is the single layered epidermis without stomata. The cortex is differentiated into outer and inner cortical region. The vascular cylinder is an amphiphloic siphonostele.

The term "brake", used for members of this genus, is a Middle English word for "fern" from southern England. Its derivation is unclear, and is generally thought to be related to "bracken", whereby the latter word has been assumed to be a plural, as with "children", and the former word a back-formation. However it may have a separate derivation.

The Latin genus name ''Pteris'' refers to the Greek name for fern (also meaning feathery).D. Gledhill

;Selected species

*'' Pteris aberrans'' Alderw.
*'' Pteris abyssinica'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris actiniopteroides'' Christ
*'' Pteris adscensionis'' Sw.
*'' Pteris albersii'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris albertiae'' Arbelaez
*'' Pteris altissima'' Poir.
*'' Pteris amoena'' Bl.
*'' Pteris angustata'' ( Fée) C. Morton
*'' Pteris angustipinna'' Tagawa
*'' Pteris angustipinnula'' Ching & S.H.Wu
*'' Pteris appendiculifera'' Alderw.
*'' Pteris arborea'' L.
*'' Pteris argyraea'' Moore
*'' Pteris aspericaulis'' Wall. ex Hieron.
*'' Pteris asperula'' J. Sm. ex Hieron.
*'' Pteris atrovirens'' Willd.
*'' Pteris auquieri'' Pichi-Serm.
*'' Pteris austrosinica'' (Ching) Ching
*'' Pteris bahamensis'' (Agardh) Fée
*'' Pteris bakeri'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris baksaensis'' Ching
*'' Pteris balansae'' Fourn.
*'' Pteris bambusoides'' Gepp
*'' Pteris barbigera'' Ching
*'' Pteris barklyae'' (Baker) Mett
*'' Pteris barombiensis'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris bavazzanoi'' Pichi-Serm.
*''Pteris beecheyana'' Ag.
*'' Pteris bella'' Tagawa
*'' Pteris berteroana'' Ag.
*'' Pteris biaurita'' L.
*'' Pteris biformis'' Splitg.
*'' Pteris blanchetiana'' Presl ex Ettingsh.
*'' Pteris blumeana'' Agardh
*'' Pteris boninensis'' H. Ohba
*'' Pteris brassii'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris brevis'' Copel.
*'' Pteris brooksiana'' Alderw.
*'' Pteris buchananii'' Bak. ap. Sim.
*'' Pteris buchtienii'' Rosenst.
*'' Pteris burtonii'' Bak.
*'' Pteris cadieri'' Christ
*'' Pteris caesia'' Copel.
*'' Pteris caiyangheensis'' L.L. Deng
*'' Pteris calcarea'' Kurata
*'' Pteris calocarpa'' (Copel.) M. Price
*'' Pteris catoptera'' Kze.
*'' Pteris chiapensis'' A. R. Sm.
*'' Pteris chilensis'' Desv.
*'' Pteris christensenii'' Kjellberg
*'' Pteris chrysodioides'' (Fée) Hook.
*'' Pteris ciliaris'' Eat.
*'' Pteris clemensiae'' Copel.
*'' Pteris comans'' Forst.
*'' Pteris commutata'' Kuhn
*'' Pteris concinna'' Hew.
*'' Pteris confertinervia'' Ching
*'' Pteris confusa'' T. G. Walker
*'' Pteris congesta'' Prado
*'' Pteris consanguinea'' Mett. ex Kuhn
*'' Pteris coriacea'' Desv.
*'' Pteris crassiuscula'' Ching & Wang
*''Pteris cretica'' L.
*'' Pteris croesus'' Bory
*'' Pteris cryptogrammoides'' Ching
*'' Pteris cumingii'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris dactylina'' Hook.
*'' Pteris daguensis'' (Hieron.) Lellinger
*'' Pteris dalhousiae'' Hook.
*'' Pteris dataensis'' Copel.
*'' Pteris dayakorum'' Bonap.
*'' Pteris decrescens'' Christ
*'' Pteris decurrens'' Presl
*'' Pteris deflexa'' Link
*'' Pteris deltea'' Ag.
*'' Pteris deltodon'' Bak.
*'' Pteris deltoidea'' Copel.
*'' Pteris dentata'' Forsskal
*'' Pteris denticulata'' Sw.
*'' Pteris dispar'' Kze.
*'' Pteris dissimilis'' (Fee) Chr.
*'' Pteris dissitifolia'' Bak.
*'' Pteris distans'' J. Sm.
*'' Pteris droogmaniana'' L. Linden
*'' Pteris edanyoi'' Copel.
*'' Pteris ekmanii'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris elmeri'' Christ ex Copel.
*'' Pteris elongatiloba'' Bonap.
*'' Pteris endoneura'' M. Price
*''Pteris ensiformis'' Burm.
*'' Pteris esquirolii'' Christ
*'' Pteris excelsa'' Gaud.
*'' Pteris famatinensis'' Sota
*'' Pteris fauriei'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris finotii'' Christ
*'' Pteris flava'' Goldm.
*'' Pteris formosana'' Bak.
*'' Pteris fraseri'' Mett. ex Kuhn
*'' Pteris friesii'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris gallinopes'' Ching
*'' Pteris geminata'' Wall.
*'' Pteris gigantea'' Willd.
*'' Pteris glaucovirens'' Goldm.
*'' Pteris goeldii'' Christ
*'' Pteris gongalensis'' T. G. Walker
*'' Pteris grandifolia'' L.
*'' Pteris grevilleana'' Wall. ex Agardh
*'' Pteris griffithii'' Hook.
*'' Pteris griseoviridis'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris guangdongensis'' Ching
*'' Pteris guizhouensis'' Ching
*'' Pteris haenkeana'' Presl
*'' Pteris hamulosa'' Christ
*'' Pteris hartiana'' Jenm.
*'' Pteris heteroclita'' Desv.
*'' Pteris heteromorpha'' Fée
*'' Pteris heterophlebia'' Kze.
*'' Pteris hillebrandii'' Copel.
*'' Pteris hirsutissima'' Ching
*'' Pteris hirtula'' (C. Chr.) C. Morton
*'' Pteris hispaniolica'' Maxon
*'' Pteris holttumii'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris hondurensis'' Jenm.
*'' Pteris hookeriana'' Ag.
*'' Pteris hossei'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris hostmanniana'' Ettingsh.
*'' Pteris hui'' Ching
*'' Pteris humbertii'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris hunanensis'' C.M.Zhang
*'' Pteris inaequalis'' (Fée) Jenm.
*'' Pteris incompleta'' Cav.
*'' Pteris inermis'' (Rosenstock) Sota
*'' Pteris insignis'' Mett. ex Kuhn
*'' Pteris intricata'' Wright
*'' Pteris intromissa'' Christ
*'' Pteris irregularis'' Kaulf.
*'' Pteris iuzonensis'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris izuensis'' Ching
*'' Pteris johannis-winkleri'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris junghuhnii'' (Reinw.) Bak.
*'' Pteris kawabatae'' Kurata
*'' Pteris keysseri'' Rosenst.
*'' Pteris khasiana'' (Clarke) Hieron.
*'' Pteris kidoi'' Kurata
*'' Pteris kinabaluensis'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris kingiana'' Endl.
*'' Pteris kiuschiuensis'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris laevis'' Mett.
*'' Pteris lanceifolia'' Ag.
*'' Pteris lastii'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris laurea'' Desv.
*'' Pteris laurisilvicola'' Kurata
*'' Pteris lechleri'' Mett.
*'' Pteris lepidopoda'' M.Kato & K.U.Kramer
*'' Pteris leptophylla'' Sw.
*'' Pteris liboensis'' P.S.Wang
*'' Pteris ligulata'' Gaud.
*'' Pteris limae'' Brade
*'' Pteris linearis'' Poir.
*'' Pteris litoralis'' Rechinger
*'' Pteris livida'' Mett.
*'' Pteris loheri'' Copel.
*'' Pteris longifolia'' L.
*'' Pteris longipes'' D. Don
*'' Pteris longipetiolulata'' Lellinger
*'' Pteris longipinna'' Hayata
*'' Pteris longipinnula'' Wall.
*'' Pteris luederwaldtii'' Rosenst.
*'' Pteris luschnathiana'' (Kl.) Bak.
*'' Pteris luzonensis'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris lydgatei'' (Bak.) Christ
*'' Pteris macgregorii'' Copel.
*'' Pteris macilenta'' A. Rich.
*'' Pteris maclurei'' Ching
*'' Pteris maclurioides'' Ching
*'' Pteris macracantha'' Copel.
*'' Pteris macrodon'' Bak.
*'' Pteris macrophylla'' Copel.
*'' Pteris macroptera'' Link
*'' Pteris madagascarica'' Ag.
*'' Pteris majestica'' Ching
*'' Pteris malipoensis'' Ching
*'' Pteris manniana'' Mett. ex Kuhn
*'' Pteris melanocaulon'' Fée
*'' Pteris melanorhachis'' Copel.
*'' Pteris menglaensis'' Ching
*'' Pteris mertensioides'' Willd.
*'' Pteris mettenii'' Kuhn
*'' Pteris micracantha'' Copel.
*'' Pteris microdictyon'' (Fée) Hook.
*'' Pteris microlepis'' Pichi-Serm.
*'' Pteris microptera'' Mett. ex Kuhn
*'' Pteris mildbraedii'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris moluccana'' Bl.
*'' Pteris monghaiensis'' Ching
*'' Pteris montis-wilhelminae'' Alston
*'' Pteris morii'' Masam.
*'' Pteris mucronulata'' Copel.
*'' Pteris multiaurita'' Ag.
*'' Pteris multifida'' Poir.
*'' Pteris muricata'' Hook.
*'' Pteris muricatopedata'' Arbelaez
*'' Pteris muricella'' Fée
*'' Pteris mutilata'' L.
*'' Pteris natiensis'' Tagawa
*'' Pteris navarrensis'' H. Christ
*'' Pteris nipponica'' Shieh
*'' Pteris novae-caledoniae'' Hook.
*'' Pteris obtusiloba'' Ching & S.H.Wu
*'' Pteris occidentalisinica'' Ching
*'' Pteris olivacea'' Ching in Ching & S. H. Wu
*'' Pteris opaca'' J. Sm.
*'' Pteris oppositipinnata'' Fée
*'' Pteris orientalis'' Alderw.
*'' Pteris orizabae'' M. Martens & Galeotti
*'' Pteris oshimensis'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris otaria'' Bedd.
*'' Pteris pachysora'' (Copel.) M. Price
*'' Pteris pacifica'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris paleacea'' Roxb.
*'' Pteris papuana'' Ces.
*'' Pteris parhamii'' Brownlie
*'' Pteris paucinervata'' Fée
*'' Pteris paucipinnata'' Alston
*'' Pteris paulistana'' Rosenst.
*'' Pteris pearcei'' Bak.
*'' Pteris pedicellata'' Copel.
*'' Pteris pediformis'' M.Kato & K.U.Kramer
*'' Pteris pellucida'' Presl
*'' Pteris perrieriana'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris perrottetii'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris philippinensis'' Fée
*'' Pteris phuluangensis'' Tag. & Iwatsuki
*'' Pteris pilosiuscula'' Desv.
*'' Pteris plumbea'' Christ
*''Pteris pluricaudata'' Copel.
*'' Pteris podophylla'' Sw.
*'' Pteris polita'' Link
*'' Pteris polyphylla'' (Presl) Ettingsh.
*'' Pteris porphyrophlebia'' C. Chr. & Ching
*'' Pteris praetermissa'' T. G. Walker
*'' Pteris preussii'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris prolifera'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris propinqua'' J. Agardh
*'' Pteris pseudolonchitis'' Bory ex Willd.
*'' Pteris pseudopellucida'' Ching
*'' Pteris pteridioides'' (Hook.) Ballard
*'' Pteris puberula'' Ching
*'' Pteris pulchra'' Schlecht. & Cham.
*'' Pteris pungens'' Willd.
*'' Pteris purdoniana'' Maxon
*'' Pteris purpureorachis'' Copel.
*'' Pteris quadriaurita'' Retz.
*'' Pteris quinquefoliata'' (Copel.) Ching
*'' Pteris quinquepartita'' Copel.
*'' Pteris radicans'' Christ
*'' Pteris ramosii'' Copel.
*'' Pteris rangiferina'' Presl ex Miq.
*'' Pteris reducta'' Bak.
*'' Pteris remotifolia'' Bak.
*'' Pteris reptans'' T.G. Walker
*'' Pteris rigidula'' Copel.
*'' Pteris rosenstockii'' C. Chr.
*'' Pteris roseo-lilacina'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris ryukyuensis'' Tagawa
*'' Pteris satsumana'' Kurata
*'' Pteris saxatilis'' Carse
*'' Pteris scabra'' Bory ex Willd.
*'' Pteris scabripes'' Wall.
*'' Pteris schlechteri'' Brause
*'' Pteris schwackeana'' Christ
*'' Pteris semiadnata'' Phil.
*'' Pteris semipinnata'' L.
*'' Pteris sericea'' (Fée) Christ
*'' Pteris setigera'' (Hook. ex Beddome) Nair
*'' Pteris setuloso-costulata'' Hayata
*'' Pteris shimenensis'' C.M.Zhang
*'' Pteris shimianensis'' H.S.Kung
*'' Pteris silvatica'' Alderw.
*'' Pteris similis'' Kuhn
*'' Pteris simplex'' Holtt.
*'' Pteris sintenensis'' (Masam.) C.M.Kuo
*'' Pteris speciosa'' Mett. ex Kuhn
*'' Pteris splendens'' Kaulf.
*'' Pteris splendida'' Ching
*'' Pteris squamaestipes'' C. Chr. & Tardieu
*'' Pteris squamipes'' Copel.
*'' Pteris stenophylla'' Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.
*'' Pteris stridens'' Ag.
*'' Pteris striphnophylla'' Mickel
*'' Pteris subindivisa'' Clarke
*'' Pteris subquinata'' (Wall. ex Bedd.) Agardh
*'' Pteris subsimplex'' Ching
*'' Pteris sumatrana'' Bak.
*'' Pteris swartziana'' Ag.
*'' Pteris taiwanensis'' Ching
*'' Pteris talamauana'' Alderw.
*'' Pteris tapeinidiifolia'' H.Itô
*'' Pteris tarandus'' M.Kato & K.U.Kramer
*'' Pteris tenuissima'' Ching
*'' Pteris togoensis'' Hieron.
*'' Pteris torricelliana'' Christ
*'' Pteris trachyrachis'' C. Chr.
*''Pteris transparens'' Mett.
*'' Pteris tremula'' R. Br.
*'' Pteris treubii'' Alderw.
*'' Pteris tricolor'' Linden
*''Pteris tripartita'' Sw.
*'' Pteris tussaci'' (Fée) Hook.
*'' Pteris umbrosa'' R. Br.
*'' Pteris undulatipinna'' Ching
*'' Pteris usambarensis'' Hier.
*'' Pteris vaupelii'' Hieron.
*''Pteris venusta'' Kunze
*'' Pteris verticillata'' (L.) Lellinger & Proctor
*'' Pteris vieillardii'' Mett.
*'' Pteris viridissima'' Ching
*'' Pteris vitiensis'' Bak.
*'' Pteris vittata'' L.
*'' Pteris wallichiana'' Agardh
*'' Pteris wangiana'' Ching
*'' Pteris warburgii'' Christ
*'' Pteris werneri'' (Rosenstock) Holtt.
*'' Pteris whitfordii'' Copel.
*'' Pteris woodwardioides'' Bory ex Willd.
*'' Pteris wulaiensis'' C.M.Kuo
*'' Pteris yakuinsularis'' Kurata
*'' Pteris yamatensis'' (Tagawa) Tagawa
*''Pteris zahlbruckneriana'' Endl.
*'' Pteris zippelii'' (Miq.) M.Kato & K.U.Kramer

Cultivation and uses

Some of these ferns are popular in cultivation as houseplants. These smaller species are often called "table ferns".

''Pteris vittata'' (commonly known as brake fern) was discovered to have the ability to "hyperaccumulate" (absorb large amounts of) arsenic from soil. The fern was growing at a central Florida site contaminated with large amounts of copper arsenate in the soil. Dr. Lena Q. Ma of the University of Florida later discovered that it had hyperaccumulated considerable amounts of arsenic from the soil. The discovery may lead to the use of ''Pteris vittata'' as a potential bioremediation plant.

References

Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Pteris''Flora of North America: ''Pteris''Flora of India ''Pteris'' species list

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2451124

Pteris,
Fern genera