What did the big fern say to the little fern? Will you be my frond? Alexander, Brenda & Julia

Structure and Function - An Intro Thousands of different species originating more than 300 million years ago Produce via spores, don’t have seeds or flowers Member of the 12 000 different species of vascular plants Can survive in water and land

Vascular Plants - Water you talking about? Vascular tissue moves water throughout organism Xylem - moves water from roots Phloem - moves nutrients and photosynthesis product Tracheid cells, in xylem, carries water. Strengthen stems. Vascular tissue found in the vascular cylinder

Fronds - Do you get the joke now? The "leaf" of a fern. Divided into two main parts, the stipe and the blade. Vary greatly in size Photosynthesis, greater area

Rhizomes - Rhi-ght above the roots Fronds arise from the rhizomes Often hidden or even completely underground Tree fern rhizomes can be up to 60 cm in diameter and 12 m tall Contain the xylem, phloem and sclerenchyma fibers

Roots - I’m rooting for you Formed from the rhizomes Grow down to strengthen the trunk Anchor the plant to the ground and absorbs water and minerals

Sporangia - Been around since the dino-sorus Reproductive structures of the ferns Sacks or capsules that produce the dust like spores Several sporangia grouped together is called a sorus Most ferns have them on the underside of the frond

Spores - The sporecast seems windy The “seeds” of the fern Contain oil droplets and sometimes chlorophyll Drop millions, sometime billions of spores during their lifetime

Examples of Ferns Lady Fern Sword Fern Licorice Fern Athyrium filix-femina Polystichum munitum Polypodium glycyrrhiza

More ferns Cyathea dealbata Cyathea brownii Silver tree fern Native to New Zealand Norfolk tree fern Cyathea brownii Largest tree fern species in the world!

Reproduction - in The Beginning, there was fern Alternation of Generations: Sporophyte - Diploid (2N) plant which produces spores Gametophyte - Haploid (N) plant which produces gametes

Reproduction - Spore me the details Under a fern, there are: Sporangia - Containers of haploid spores Sori - Clusters of sporangia.

Reproduction - Gone with the Wind Spores develop into heart- shaped Gametophytes (N), known as prothallium Under the prothallium there are Archegonium (produces egg) and Antheridium (produces sperm) Sperm fertilize egg

Reproduction - And We Start All over again Egg becomes fertilized by the sperm Embryo grows into new sporophyte Sporophyte grows on top of gametophyte which eventually withers away

References http://stanleyparkproject.com/blog/2013/5/15/fern- identification-101 http://amerfernsoc.org/lernfrnl.html http://cwf-fcf.org/en/discover-wildlife/flora- fauna/flora/ferns.html http://www.borealforest.org/ferns/fern1.html