Adiantum
| Adiantum | |
|---|---|
| Western five-fingered fern (Adiantum aleuticum) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Family: | Pteridaceae |
| Subfamily: | Vittarioideae |
| Genus: | Adiantum L. |
| Type species | |
| Adiantum capillus-veneris L. | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Adiantum (/ˌædiˈæntəm/), the maidenhair fern (not to be confused with the similar-looking maidenhair spleenwort fern), is a genus of about 250 species of ferns in the subfamily Vittarioideae of the family Pteridaceae, though some researchers place it in its own family, Adiantaceae. The genus name comes from Greek, meaning "unwetted", referring to the fronds' ability to shed water without becoming wet.