Family: Thelypteridaceae — marsh fern family
Marsh ferns grow on soil. The leaves are divided into deeply lobed leaflets and have pointed, transparent hairs on the blade and/or stalk. The rachis is grooved on its upper side and is covered in fine hairs. The sori are round or oblong and are arranged along the edges of the leaves or along the veins. The sori may be covered by an indusium or not, depending on the genus. Species in the Thelypteridaceae were formerly included in a broadly defined family, the Polypodiaceae.
This family’s genera in New England
Visit this family in the Dichotomous Key