Pteris (brake) is a genus of about 300 species of ferns in the subfamily Pteridoideae of the family Pteridaceae.[1][2] 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.[3] 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.[4]
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.[5]
The Latin genus name Pteris refers to the Greek name for fern (also meaning feathery).[6]
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. [1]
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).
Selected species.jpg)
Pteris hillebrandii 
Pteris semipinnata 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
