* pteron (πτερόν): meaning "wing" or "feather"
* -opsis (-opsis): a suffix meaning "appearance" or "likeness"
Therefore, Pteropsida literally means "wing-like appearance". This name reflects the characteristic feature of this group of plants – their large, frond-like leaves, which resemble wings.
It's important to note that the term "Pteropsida" is no longer considered a valid taxonomic group in modern plant classification systems. However, it was historically used to classify a diverse group of vascular plants, including ferns, horsetails, and whisk ferns, based on their shared features like their vascular tissues and frond-like leaves.