Blechnopsis is a small genus of ferns belonging to the family Blechnaceae (subfamily Blechnoideae), placed in the order Polypodiales. The genus was recognised under the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), though not all authorities treat it as distinct: some sources subsume it into a broadly circumscribed Blechnum, defined to encompass the entire PPG I subfamily Blechnoideae.
As of 2025 the genus contains two accepted species. The best-known member, Blechnopsis orientalis (formerly widely known as Blechnum orientale), is a terrestrial fern native to a wide swath of the Old World tropics and subtropics, ranging from India and China through South-east Asia to northern Australia.
Distribution
Blechnopsis species occur across the Old World tropics and subtropics. Blechnopsis orientalis, the most widespread member, grows naturally in India, China, South-east Asia, and northern Australia.
Taxonomy Notes
Blechnopsis was accepted as a distinct genus under the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), placed in the family Blechnaceae, subfamily Blechnoideae. Some authorities do not recognise the genus and instead treat its species within a broadly circumscribed Blechnum equivalent to the whole of PPG I subfamily Blechnoideae. The species formerly published as Blechnum orientale is now widely treated as a synonym of Blechnopsis orientalis.
