Pteridaceae

Shoestring fern

Vittaria lineata (L.) Sm.

Family: Pteridaceae
Genus: Vittaria

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Common names

By language (1)

English: Shoestring fern

Synonyms

Haplopteris lineata J.Sm.
Oetosis filiformis Greene
Oetosis lineata (L.) Greene
Oetosis lineata var. filiformis Farw.
Polypodium gramineum Ces.
Pteris lineata L.
Pteris lineata (Pr.) Ettingsh.
Taeniopsis lineata (L.) J.Sm.
Vittaria angustifrons Michx.
Vittaria costaricensis Lellinger
Vittaria curvidentata Müll.Berol.
Vittaria deppeana Müll.Berol.
Vittaria filiformis Cav.
Vittaria lineata var. curvidentata (Müll.Berol.) Brade
Vittaria pachydictyon Müll.Berol.
Vittaria schkuhrii Raddi
Vittaria setacea Christ

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native

Photos

Photo: Riverbanks Outdoor Store from New Port Richey, FL, United States, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: scott.zona, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: scott.zona, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: scott.zona, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Vittaria

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.