the buckler fern family, containing 8–15 genera and about 230 species, in the division Pteridophyta (the lower vascular plants (lower vascular plant)). Tectariaceae is distributed nearly worldwide but is most diverse in tropical regions. Most species are terrestrial or grow on rocks. Leaf morphology is extremely variable, but most commonly the sori are round and often covered with a membranous protective flap of tissue called an indusium. The spores are bean-shaped (bilateral).

Most members of the family are classified in Tectaria (also known as the halberd ferns; 150 or more species), but this morphologically variable genus may be separated into four or more smaller units that display greater homogeneity.