Although Pteridaceae Reichb. f. has been considered to be an illegitimate name (Pichi Sermolli, 1982), Article 63.3 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature was altered at Sydney and the name is consequently legitimate. It may, however, be antedated by Pteridaceae Gaud. or Pteridaceae (S. F. Gray) Gaud. and for this reason Panigrahi (1986) has proposed the name for conservation with appropriate authorship. The name was used by Tryon and Tryon (1982) and it will be used in "The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants" in anticipation of its conservation. Adopted in a broad sense, the Pteridaceae include major groups of ferns that are currently recognized, sometimes as tribes and sometimes as families. In order to be consistent with other treatments of fern families in "The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants," it is necessary to place them as subfamilies. The nomenclature of these follows with the new status provided when necessary.