Images: Ferns

Bahama Ladder Brake Click image to enlarge Boston Fern Click image to enlarge Broad Beech Fern Click image to enlarge Bulblet Fern Click image to enlarge Cinnamon Fern Click image to enlarge Ebony Spleenwort Click image to enlarge Fragile Fern Click image to enlarge Giant Chain Fern Click image to enlarge Hay Scented Fern Click image to enlarge Inland Leather Fern Click image to enlarge Interrupted Fern Click image to enlarge Lady Fern Click image to enlarge Licorice Fern Click image to enlarge Long Strap Fern Click image to enlarge New York Fern Click image to enlarge Northern Maidenhair Fern Click image to enlarge Oak Fern Click image to enlarge Royal Fern Click image to enlarge Sensitive Fern Click image to enlarge Walking Fern Click image to enlarge FERNS are vascular plants that contain xylem and phloem. They were the first vascular plants to have roots, stems, and leaves. However, they do not have flowers or seeds. Instead, they use spores to reproduce. The earliest known ferns appear in fossils that are about 350 million years old. Ferns are not as prevalent as they were before flowering plants evolved, but there are still more than 10,000 species of ferns in the world. Of those, about 400 species occur in the United States. Links Books