Woodwardia is a genus of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, in the suborder Aspleniineae (eupolypods II) of the order Polypodiales. Species are known as netted-chain ferns. The genus is native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are large ferns, with fronds growing to 50–300 cm long depending on the species. The fossil record of the genus extends to the Paleocene.
Taxonomy Woodwardia was first described by James Edward Smith in 1793. It was named after Thomas Jenkinson Woodward. When broadly circumscribed, the genus contains about 15 species (plus some hybrids). In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the genera Anchistea and Lorinseria (each with one species) are kept separate.
Species , Plants of the World Online accepts the following species, excluding those placed in other genera in the PPG I system. Image Scientific name Distribution Woodwardia auriculata Peninsula Malaysia to Sumatera, W. Jawa Woodwardia fimbriata W. Canada to Mexico (Baja California Norte, Sonora) Woodwardia harlandii S. China to Japan (Yakushima) and N. Indo-China Woodwardia japonica S. China to Indo-China, Temp. E. AsiaWoodwardia kempii SE. China, Taiwan, Japan (Mishima, Yakushima). Woodwardia magnifica China (Yunnan) to Vietnam. Woodwardia martinezii Mexico (Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz) Woodwardia orientalis E. China, Japan to Philippines. Woodwardia prolifera SE. China to S. Central & S. Japan and Philippines (Bataan Islands) Woodwardia radicans Macaronesia, Mediterranean Woodwardia spinulosa Mexico to Central America. Woodwardia unigemmata Pakistan to S. Central & S. Japan and N. Indo-China, Jawa, Philippines, New Guinea Woodwardia virginica E. Canada to E. Central & E. U.S.A.
Natural Hybrids Image Name and Parentage DistributionWoodwardia × intermedia (W. japonica × W. orientalis) S. Japan Woodwardia × izuensis (W. orientalis × W. unigemmata)SC. Japan Woodwardia × semicordata (W. martinezii × W. spinulosa)Mexico
Species placed elsewhere in PPG I are: Woodwardia areolata (L.) T.Moore = Lorinseria areolata (L.) C.Presl Woodwardia virginica (L.) Sm. = Anchistea virginica (L.) C.Presl Woodwardia sp. Pons., 1964 Late Miocene to Pliocene (Late Cretaceous?)
References
External links Germplasm Resources Information Network: Woodwardia Flora of North America: Woodwardia Flora of China: Woodwardia species list Smith's original description of the genus online at Project Gutenberg Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.