Pteridophyta: Polypodiales

Adiantaceae - Maidenhairs and shoelace ferns

Cryptogrammaceae

Vittariaceae

Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria.

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca

Description of the family

Plants terrestrial, lithophytic or epiphytic. Small to medium sized ferns. Rhizome erect, suberect or creeping, with scales. Fronds numerous, monomorphic, simple and entire (Vittaria) or divided (Adiantum), veins free or reticulate. Sori in soral lines in marginal or submarginal grooves or along the veins (Vittaria) , or borne marginally, covered by modified marginal pseudo-indusium (Adiantum), exindusiate; homosporus.

Comment: Sometimes included as a subfamily in the Pteridaceae

Worldwide: 12 genera, c. 300 species worldwide

Zimbabwe: 2 genera and 13 taxa.

Links to genera: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

Genus	Content
Adiantum L.	Description, Image
Vittaria Sm.	Description, Image

Other sources of information about Adiantaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Adiantaceae
Flora of Burundi: Adiantaceae
Flora of the DRC: Adiantaceae
Flora of Malawi: Adiantaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Adiantaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Adiantaceae
Flora of Zambia: Adiantaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Adiantaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Adiantaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Adiantaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Adiantaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Adiantaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Adiantaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Adiantaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Adiantaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Adiantaceae
Wikipedia: Adiantaceae
Plants of the World Online: Adiantaceae
Tropicos: Adiantaceae