Field Key to Clubmosses of Northeast North America - Perspective based key, common names, and hybrids in a smart phone friendly format.
PDF version if you desire a printed copy
Flora of North America Lycopodiaceae Key Comprehensive key, genus & species descriptions, and technical illustrations. This link is to Family Lycopodiacea - the clubmoss family. Note that FNA does not recognize Dendrolycopodium and Spinulum as genera (it leaves them in Lycopodium) nor does it recognize Family Huperziaceae.
Native Plant Trust - GoBotany Lycopodiacea (Clubmoss) Key
Native Plant Trust - GoBotany Huperziaceae (Firmoss) Key This and the link above are the keys for the 2 families recognized by GoBotany. Other keys put Huperzia (fir mosses) with Family Lycopodiaceae. There are detailed species descriptions, photos, details from Flora Novae Anglia and additional goodies.
University of Michigan Herbarium Lycopodiaceae Key A traditional dichotomous key with simple species descriptions and photos. Two of the bog clubmosses - Lycopodiella subapressa & L. margueriteae, are known only from Michigan but all other species are found in New England.
University of Wisconsin Green-Bay Key to Lycopodiaceae Another simple, alternative key with photos. Only rock firmoss Huperzia porophylla is not known from New England.
Field Key to Horsetails of Northeast North America Adapted perspective based keys that are smart phone friendly for eyes over 40 years old.
Flora of North America Equisetum Key Comprehensive key, species descriptions, and technical illustrations. This link is to Genus Equisetum - the horsetail genus.
Native Plant Trust - GoBotany Equisetacea Key There are detailed species descriptions, photos, details from Flora Novae Anglia and additional goodies.
University of Michigan Herbarium Equisetum Key A traditional dichotomous key with simple species descriptions and photos. All of the species are known from New England except E. telmateia.
University of Wisconsin Green-Bay Key to Equisetum Another simple, alternative key with photos. All species are known from New England.
Books published prior to 2000 are excluded from this list. While many have interesting and helpful bits (Field Manual of the Ferns & Fern-Allies of the United States & Canada by Lellinger 1985), taxonomy has changed enough that I feel the older books add confusion rather than clarity.
Peterson Field Guide to Ferns: Northeastern and Central North America, 2nd Edition by Boughton Cobb, Cheryl Lowe, Elizabeth Farnsworth (2005) - This was the go to guide for years for 'fern allies'. It is a bit out of date taxonomically and may become out of print soon. The keys are adequate. I find the species descriptions, illustrations and photos very helpful. Here's hoping for a 3rd edition.
Northeast Ferns: A Field Guide to the Ferns and Fern Relatives of the Northeastern United States by Steve W. Chadde (2019) - This is probably your best bet for New England (there is also a Midwest edition). Keys are good and the species descriptions are thorough. The lack of color photographs is the only drawback but I expect that lack helps keep the cost down.
Ferns & Allies of the North Woods by Joe Walewski (2016) - While written for the other North Woods, this book is applicable to New England. No keys but the species descriptions, photographs, nature notes, and other sections make this a valuable resource. Recommended.
Michigan Ferns and Lycophytes by David Palmer (2018) - Another guide that is mostly applicable to New England.
Minnesota Wildflowers - Ferns and Fern Allies - Clickable photos with additional species detail and photos of ferns, horsetails, and clubmosses. Nearly every species also occurs in the Northeast.
Native Plant Trust - GoBotany Huperziaceae Monilophytes Key This is the link to the keys for all the true fern families recognized by GoBotany. There are detailed species descriptions, photos, details from Flora Novae Anglia and additional goodies.
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last update 2023-Dec-11