The maidenhair fern family (order Polypodiales). Members of Pteridaceae are distributed throughout the world, especially in tropical and warm-temperate regions. The plants are extremely diverse ecologically, ranging from floating aquatic plants to rock ferns in deserts and seasonally arid places. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals.

Yatskievych, George. "Pteridaceae". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Jun. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/plant/Pteridaceae. Accessed 20 October 2026.