Ferns

From Encyclopediak

Ferns, a name given to a number of plants classed together in the Fern Family, and known as the, chief group of flowerless plants. They vary in size from the giant tree ferns of the tropics to the delicate cliff spleenworts. In general they are stemless or hollow-stemmed and have leafy, spreading fronds. In the spring, when first coming up, the distinct leaves are rolled close to the stem and the stem is curled like the top of a bishop's crozier. As the stems lengthen the heads unroll until they are widespread. The leaves commonly bear upon their under surfaces the round, brownish spore cases, in which are countless, tiny spores by means of which the plant is to be reproduced. These spore cases differ in size, shape and location according to the species to which the ferns belong. When the spores are ripe the case opens and the spores are scattered far and wide. Those which fall in favorable locations develop into a peculiar, hairlike body, very unlike the fern which produced it. Later, through an intricate course of growth, the fern is developed from this body.

TYPES OF FERNS The ferns are outwardly widely differing plants but are grouped together mainly through their mode of reproduction. As house plants, conservatory plants or inhabitants of the woodland, they are extremely decorative. The varieties are the asparagus fern, a potted fern whose leaves are reduced to tiny spines the brake, a coarse fern, discussed under that title elsewhere the polypodium, a blunt-toothed fern which loves the seemingly bare walls of rocks the dicksonia, lady, and New York ferns, whose long plumelike fronds make the moist wood beautiful the maidenhair fern and the spleenworts, which are delicate plants, generally bearing but one leaf. The largest ferns known now are the tree ferns of warm climates, which may be large, palmlike trees with un-branched stems and waving fronds, or smaller, more delicate plants scarcely more than three feet in height.