Current understanding of the nature and function of fungal associations in pteridophytes is surprisinglypatchy given their key evolutionary position, current research foci on other early-branching plant clades, and majorefforts at unravelling mycorrhizal evolution and the mechanisms underlying this key interaction between plants andfungi. Here we provide a critical review of current knowledge of fungal associations across pteridophytes andconsider future directions making recommendations along the way. From a comprehensive survey of the literature,a confused picture emerges: suggestions that members of the Lycopsida harbour Basidiomycota fungi contrastsharply with extensive cytological and recent molecular evidence pointing to exclusively Glomeromycota and/orMucoromycotina associations in this group. Similarly, reports of dark septate, assumingly ascomycetous, hyphae ina range of pteridophytes, advocating a mutualistic relationship, are not backed by functional evidence and thefact that the fungus invariably occupies dead host tissue points to saprotrophy and not mutualism. The bestconclusion that can be reached based on current evidence is that the fungal symbionts of pteridophytes belong tothe two fungal lineages Mucoromycotina and Glomeromycota. Do symbiotic fungi and host pteridophytes engagein mutually beneficial partnerships? To date, only two pioneering studies have addressed this key questiondemonstrating reciprocal exchange of nutrients between the sporophytes of Ophioglossum vulgatum and Osmundaregalis and their fungal symbionts. There is a pressing need for more functional investigations also extending to thegametophyte generation and coupled with in vitro isolation and resynthesis studies to unravel the effect of thefungi on their host.