Blechnum

Taxobox
name = "Blechnum"

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Blechnum cordatum"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Pteridophyta
classis = Pteridopsida
ordo = Athyriales
familia = Blechnaceae
genus = "Blechnum"
genus_authority = L.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text

"Blechnum" (hard fern) is a genus of between 150-220 species of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. By far the greatest species diversity is in tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere, with only a few species reaching cool temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (notably "B. penna-marina", south to Cape Horn, Chile, the southernmost fern in the world) and Northern Hemisphere (notably "B. spicant", north to Iceland and northern Norway).

Most are herbaceous plants, but a few species (e.g. "B. buchtienii" and "B. schomburgkii" in Ecuador) are tree ferns with stems up to 3 m tall.

;Selected species
*"Blechnum brasiliense" Desv.
*"Blechnum buchtienii" Rosenst.
*"Blechnum chilensis" Kaulf.
*"Blechnum cordatum" (Desv.) Hieron. (syn. "B. chilense")
*"Blechnum fluviatile"
*"Blechnum gibbum"
*"Blechnum lanceola" Sw.
*"Blechnum nipponicum" (Kunze) Makino
*"Blechnum obtusatum" (Labill.) Mett.
*"Blechnum occidentale" L.
*"Blechnum orientale" L.
*"Blechnum penna-marina" (Poir.) Kuhn
*"Blechnum schomburgkii" (Klotzsch) C. Chr.
*"Blechnum serrulatum" Rich.
*"Blechnum spicant" (L.) Sm.
*"Blechnum vittatum" Brack.
*"Blechnum volubile" Kaulf.

Cultivation and uses

Several species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens.

References

* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?1494 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Blechnum"]
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=104058 Flora of North America: "Blechnum"]
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=201&taxon_id=104058 Trees and shrubs in the Andes of Ecuador: "Blechnum"]
* [http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=3&start_taxon_id=104058 Flora of China: "Blechnum" species list]
*Huxley, A., ed. (1992). "New RHS Dictionary of Gardening". Macmillan.
*Moore, D. M. (1983). "Flora of Tierra del Fuego".