Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Pteris multifida

Pteris multifida, the spider brake, is a species of fern in the family Pteridaceae. It is native to central and southern China, Korea, Japan, the Ryukyus, Taiwan, and Vietnam. A shade-loving lithophyte with fronds reaching at most 60 cm (24 in), it is typically found growing on old walls, and is a rare example of a fern synanthrope. Consequently it has been introduced to many locales around the world, including many of the United States, some of the Caribbean islands, Bolivia, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, central Europe, Italy, Romania, Uganda, the Indian Subcontinent, Thailand, and the Philippines, and is known by many local common names, including Chinese brake, spider fern, Huguenot fern, ribbon fern, and saw-leaved bracken.

Last revised
Jun 12, 2026
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Pteris multifida
On a ruined wall in Central China Normal University
Botanical illustration
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Pteridaceae
Genus: Pteris
Species:
P. multifida
Binomial name
Pteris multifida
Synonyms1
  • Pteris multifida f. serrulata R.H.Miao
  • Pteris serrulata L.f.
  • Pteris serrulata (R.H.Miao) Y.H.Yan
  • Pteris serrulata angusta B.S.Williams ex J.Dix
  • Pteris serrulata var. variegata Regel
  • Pycnodoria multifida (Poir.) Small

Pteris multifida, the spider brake, is a species of fern in the family Pteridaceae.2 It is native to central and southern China, Korea, Japan, the Ryukyus, Taiwan, and Vietnam.1 A shade-loving lithophyte with fronds reaching at most 60 cm (24 in), it is typically found growing on old walls, and is a rare example of a fern synanthrope.3 Consequently it has been introduced to many locales around the world, including many of the United States, some of the Caribbean islands, Bolivia, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, central Europe, Italy, Romania, Uganda, the Indian Subcontinent, Thailand, and the Philippines, and is known by many local common names, including Chinese brake, spider fern, Huguenot fern, ribbon fern, and saw-leaved bracken.13

References

References

  1. "Pteris multifida Poir". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
  2. "Pteris multifida spider brake". Find a plant. The Royal Horticultural Society. 2026. Retrieved 30 March 2026. Other common names; spider fern, ribbon fern
  3. "4. Pteris multifida Poiret in Lamarck et al., Encycl. 5: 714. 1804. Spider brake, spider fern, Chinese brake, Huguenot fern, saw-leaved bracken". Flora of North America. Missouri Botanical Garden & Harvard University Herbaria. 2026. Retrieved 30 March 2026.