Mothers of Pteridology

Abstract. Women have long been underrepresented in STEM, although there are certain fields within this umbrella that show less of a disparity — the biological sciences being one example. Within biology, pteridology has a rich history of female contributors involved since its inception. In this review we strive to highlight some of the foremost female pteridologists including Elizabeth Knight Britton, Alma Stokey, Irene Manton, Alice Tryon, Barbara Hoshizaki, and Florence Wagner. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather an insight into the strong maternal lineage of the fern and lycophyte community. While the field would not be the same without the work of many male pteridologists, herein we emphasize the important contributions that these founding women have made. Some of the research conducted by early female pteridologists was largely undermined by their time and circumstance; here we bring their lives and works to the foreground. Furthermore, we hope this paper inspires young botanists to enter our unique and historically rich field.