Woodwardia

Woodwardia is a genus of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, in the suborder Aspleniineae 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 (botanist)|James Edward Smith] in 1793. It was named after Thomas [Jenkinson Woodward]. When broadly circumscribed, the genus contains about 15 species. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016, the genera Anchistea and Lorinseria 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
	Woodwardia harlandii	S. China to Japan and N. Indo-China
	Woodwardia japonica	S. China to Indo-China, Temp. E. Asia
	Woodwardia kempii	SE. China, Taiwan, Japan.
	Woodwardia magnifica	China to Vietnam.
	Woodwardia martinezii	Mexico
	Woodwardia orientalis	E. China, Japan to Philippines.
	Woodwardia prolifera	SE. China to S. Central & S. Japan and Philippines
	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	Distribution
	Woodwardia × intermedia	S. Japan
	Woodwardia × izuensis	SC. Japan
	Woodwardia × semicordata	Mexico

Species placed elsewhere in PPG I are:

Woodwardia areolata T.Moore = Lorinseria areolata C.Presl
Woodwardia virginica Sm. = Anchistea virginica C.Presl
Woodwardia sp. Pons., 1964 Late Miocene to '''Pliocene'''