fern

Introduction

CE5

Life cycle of a fern

fern, any plant of the division Polypodiophyta. Fern species, numbering several thousand, are found throughout the world but are especially abundant in tropical rain forests. The ferns and their relatives (e.g., the club moss and horsetail) are the most primitive plants to have developed a true vascular system (see plant). The asparagus fern and shrub sweet fern (see bayberry) of florists are not true ferns.

Sections in this article:

Introduction
Classification
Uses and Lore
Reproduction
Ancient Ferns
Common Species
Bibliography

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Plants