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The Ferns
The Ferns provides information about ferns and invites visitors to support the site.
About The Ferns
Useful Tropical Plants is a database of information on the edible, medicinal and other uses of several thousand plants that can be grown in tropical regions. It currently lists 13,362 species and is described as a work in progress, with new records added and older records updated regularly.
Users can browse plants alphabetically by botanical name or common name, or search on any keyword, with a more advanced search option also available. The site states that all information is fully referenced, and references can be viewed on individual plant pages. Common names are not currently present for most records.
Key features
- Covers edible, medicinal and other uses of tropical plants
- Lists 13,362 species as of the last update
- Keyword search plus an advanced search option
- Browse alphabetically by botanical name
- Browse common names; most records currently lack them
- Per-plant references and a full reference list
Best for: People seeking referenced information on the edible, medicinal and other uses of tropical plants.
Good for
- Information is fully referenced, with references viewable on individual plant pages.
- The site states that all its information is made freely available.
- Records are added and updated on a regular basis.
Watch out for
- Common names are not currently present for most records.
- The database is described as very much a work in progress.
- The database and code are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0.
The Ferns at a glance
- Website
- tropical.theferns.info
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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The Ferns FAQ
How many species does the database list?
It lists 13,362 species, according to the last update on 2024-10-13.
Are the plant records referenced?
Yes. The site states that all information is fully referenced, and references can be viewed when looking at individual plants.
Does using the database cost anything?
No price is listed. The site states that all information is made freely available and asks for donations to help keep it running.
Is something wrong or out of date?
Tell us and an editor will check it.
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