Abstract:We observed the spore germination and gametophyte development of three species of Polystichum polyblepharum, Dryopteris fuscipes and Cyrtomidictyum lepidocaulon belonging to Dryopteridaceae by using light microscopy, and recorded the characteristics of gametophytes of different development stages. The spores of three species are monolete; the germination is centripetal-type and the gametophyte development is aspidium-type; sex organs are of the type of leptosporangiate; mature gametophytes are cordate with hairs; differences among three species include spore color, spore ornamentation, germination time, filament length, plate shape, hairs, and rhizoids. These characteristics are overlapping between the three genera. Therefore, spore morphology and development of gametophyte can‘t be the evidences distinguishing the three genera Polystichum, Dryopteris and Cyrtomidictyum.