34 Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn

Within this very polymorphic and widespread species a great number of lower taxa (subspecies and varieties) are distinguished, some of them having wide distribution, others restricted. Seven separate taxa are mapped here. To these subsp. brevipes (Tausch) Wulf in Caucasus, the Crimea and E. Crete may be added (Atlas Fl. Eur. 1/1972, map 67). The species s. lat. belongs to the circumpolar plants (Hultén, Circumpol. I, p. 140 and map 131). For the total distribution of the species s. lat. see Meusel et al. 1965, map p. 12.