Trichomanes is a genus of ferns in the family Hymenophyllaceae, termed bristle ferns. The circumscription of the genus is disputed. All ferns in the genus are filmy ferns, with leaf tissue typically 2 cells thick.  This thinness generally necessitates a permanently humid habitat, and makes the fronds somewhat translucent. Because of this membrane-like frond tissue, the plant is prone to drying out. “Filmy ferns” in the taxa Hymenophyllaceae grow in constantly wet environments. Many are found in cloud forests such as “Choco” in Colombia. There are also members of the taxa that can grow submersed in water. 

The name bristle fern refers to the small bristle that protrudes from the indusia of these ferns.

Taxonomy
The genus Trichomanes was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Its status, like other genera in the subfamily Trichomanoideae, remains disputed. The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I) accepts the genus as one of eight in the subfamily Trichomanoideae, saying that there are about 60 species. , the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World listed about 70 species. Other sources, including Plants of the World Online , treated Trichomanes as the only genus in the subfamily Trichomanoideae, so that it included all the other genera, and had about 250 species.

Phylogeny
Phylogeny by Fern Tree of Life.
 

Other species:

Trichomanes anomalum Maxon & Morton
Trichomanes aureovestitum Proctor
Trichomanes bancroftii Hook. & Grev.
Trichomanes bissei C.Sánchez
Trichomanes caliginum Lellinger
Trichomanes crassipilis Weath.
Trichomanes cristatum Kaulf.
Trichomanes dactylites Sodiro
Trichomanes delicatum Bosch
Trichomanes ebiharae Fraser-Jenk. & Kholia
Trichomanes guidoi P.G.Windisch
Trichomanes humboldtii (Bosch) Lellinger
Trichomanes jenmanii Lellinger
Trichomanes kalbreyeri Baker
Trichomanes killipii Weath.
Trichomanes laciniosum Alston
Trichomanes lozanoi M.T.Murillo
Trichomanes ludovicianum Rosenst.
Trichomanes macilentum Bosch
Trichomanes micayense Hieron.
Trichomanes murilloanum A.Rojas
Trichomanes padronii Proctor
Trichomanes paucisorum R.C.Moran & B.Øllg.
Trichomanes pellucens Kunze
Trichomanes pinnatifidum Bosch
Trichomanes plumosum Kunze
Trichomanes poeppigii C.Presl
Trichomanes procerum Fée
Trichomanes resinosum R.C.Moran
Trichomanes ribae Pacheco
Trichomanes sellowianum C.Presl
Trichomanes steyermarkii P.G.Windisch & A.R.Sm.
Trichomanes sublabiatum Bosch
Trichomanes superbum Bosch
Trichomanes trichopodium A.Rojas
Trichomanes vaupesensis Lellinger

Species formerly placed in this genus include:
 Trichomanes angustatum Carmich. = Polyphlebium angustatum (Carmich.) Ebihara & Dubuisson
 Trichomanes bauerianum  = Callistopteris baueriana (Endl.) Copel – Bauer's bristle fern
 Trichomanes boryanum  = Cephalomanes atrovirens 
 Trichomanes boschianum  = Vandenboschia boschiana (J.W.Sturm ex Bosch) Ebihara & K.Iwats. – Appalachian bristle fern
 Trichomanes caudatum Brack. = Abrodictyum caudatum (Brack.) Ebihara & K.Iwats.
 Trichomanes intricatum  = Crepidomanes intricatum (Farrar) Ebihara & Weakley – Weft fern
 Trichomanes melanopus  = Didymoglossum melanopus (Baker) Copel. 
 Trichomanes petersii  = Didymoglossum petersii (A. Gray) Copel. – Dwarf bristle fern
 Trichomanes reniforme  = Hymenophyllum nephrophyllum Ebihara & K. Iwats.
 Trichomanes speciosum  = Vandenboschia speciosa (Willd.) G. Kunkel
 Trichomanes tenuissimum  = Polyphlebium tenuissimum (Bosch) comb. ined.
 Trichomanes venosum R.Br. = Polyphlebium venosum (R.Br.) Copel.

References

Hymenophyllales
Fern genera
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot