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The seed-free vascular plants are often referred to as the cyrptogams. Note that this is 'cryptogams,' not 'cryptograms...' the etymology is from the words for hidden (crypto, the same root for cryptic, crypt, etc.) and marriage (gam, as in gamete) - a phrase first used by Linnaeus. In other words, these plants' sexual parts are relatively inconspicuous - they are flower and seed free.
The best way to identify Wisconsin's cryptogams is online at the UW Green Bay site devoted to ferns and their allies. It has a nice key and species descriptions.
There are a few references worth checking out if you are interested in pursuing ferns and fern allies (the vascular cryptogams) further:
Flora of North America, vol 2. (in lab) but also available online. This is the standard for the present taxonomy of ferns and allies.
Peterson's Field Guides: The Ferns . An excellent and up-to-date key to ferns and their allies. Nicely illustrated.
The Ferns and Fern Allies of Wisconsin, by R.M. Tryon, N.C. Fassett, D.W. Dunlop, and M.E. Diemer. 1940. This is an old book, but the keys are very good, all groups treated in both vegetative and sexual conditions.
How to Know the Ferns: a guide to the names, haunts, and habits of our common ferns, by Frances Theodora Parsons. 1961. Also old, but many have learned ferns with this book in tow.
Plants to key out:
1. Pteridium aquilinum (Dennstaedtiaceae) 'Bracken fern.'
Sensu lato (Latin for "broadly defined") this is a pandemic species, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. It contains trace amounts ofcarcinogens, though for years people have eaten the fiddleheads. A single individual may be quite large, consisting of many above ground stalks joined by a thick rhizome.2. Onoclea sensibilis (Dryopteridaceae) 'Sensitive fern'
A very common species in wetlands of all kinds, shaded or sunny. People will paint the sporangia of this species for use in decorative floral arrangements.3. Huperzia lucidulum (Lycopodiaceae) 'Shining clubmoss'
Old name: Lycopodium lucidulum
Sometimes, through taxonomic revisions, the genus and even family affiliation of given plants can change. This genus was recently split up and the species you just keyed out is now placed in another genus. You should learn both the old and the new names. Lycopods have been used to make wreaths, but are so heavily collected that they have been nearly depleted in some areas of the country (e.g. in the northeast U.S.) and have since fallen under protection in at least some states.
Species to learn
4. Adiantum pedatum (Pteridaceae) 'Maidenhair fern'
There are various stories about its naming whatever the story, a beauty. Grows in rich woodlands, rarely out of shade.5. Polypodium virginianum (Polypodiaceae) 'Rock-cap fern'
Grows on big rocks, amongst other places. Sensu lato - this is a circumboreal species. The family Polypodiaceae used to be a catch-all for many ferns, at one time or another several of the ferns you will have looked at today were placed in this family.
Genera to learn
6. Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae) 'Christmas fern,' 'Holly fern'
Members of this genus are most easily identified by the 'auricle' - the small earlike projections on the pinnae, near the stipe. They tend to form vase-like rings of fronds, and the common name 'Christmas fern' refers to the fact that they are often evergreen, with the fronds remaining attached throughout the winter.7. Selaginella (Selaginellaceae) 'Spikemoss'
Also quite primitive, many species tending towards drier habitats in North America than the morphologically similar Lycopods. Growing to the size of bushes in the humid tropics. Has been marketed as the "Jesus Christ plant," because it can go for years without water, only to be revived by a good dousing, or "baptism." This plant might be inconspicuous but it is not uncommon, it has been recorded from almost every county in WI. Look for it anywhere you see Prickly Pear cactus (Opuntia) growing.8. Equisetum (Equisetaceae) 'Horsetail'
Also called "scouring rush" because of the silica content of the stems. Early pioneers used them to clean their pots and pans, and reed intrumentalists use them today to hone their reeds. Dried out individual stalk pieces may be mistaken as cigarette butts in the field. [Equi- from the Latin for 'horse.']9. Drypoteris (Dryopteridaceae) 'Wood ferns' or 'Shield ferns'
These are some of the most common ferns you will find in the woods of Wisconsin. Members of this genus range from twice to even four times pinnate, and their sori have prominent coverings, or indusia. Several members of the genus are evergreen.10. Osmunda (Osmundaceae) 'Cinnamon fern' or 'Interrputed fern'
Osmunda are common roadside ferns, often found in moist ditches or culverts. They are easily distinguished by their dimorphic fronds, which bear separate sterile, photosynthetic pinnae, and fertile, non-photosynthetic pinnae. The common names 'cinnamon fern' (O. cinnamomea) and 'interrputed fern (O. claytoniana) refer to the appearance of the fertile pinnae, which are held erect on a wand-like frond which turns brown in the former, and which occur between two, 'interrupted' groups of sterile pinnae along the stipe in the latter.