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).

Phylogeny: 

Fern Tree of Life

1=Read more Source: Wikipedia, article Pteris sp.. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 18/07/2026. Geographic distribution Loading map... ✖ • 1 record - • 2 or 3 records - • 4 to 10 records - • 11 to 50 records - • Over 51 records Species photographs Last published photographs Photography ID: 541704   Adult Mar del Plata Buenos Aires Argentina 06/18/2023 Jorge Iriberri  View all photographs of the species  Add a photography for this sheet Species vocalizations Last vocalizations published  Add an audio for this sheet Species videos Last filmings published  Add a film for this sheet Species reports  Detail of places sorted by number of records Page 1 Record ID Date Exact time Country Province / department Place Filmed Photographed Recorded vocal Observed Heard Wounded or dead Number of individuals User or Bibliography Detail 1793496 18/06/2023 Argentina Buenos Aires Barrio Colina Alegre, Mar del Plata Jorge Iriberri Page 1  Add a record for this sheet 📖 Recommended citation Please use the following reference when citing this species account. EcoRegistros. 2026. Pteris sp. – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 20/09/2026.