Common Name: Northern Maidenhair Fern Scientific Name: Adiantum pedatum Distribution: Much of the eastern United States except Florida; ranging westward into the eastern Great Plains states, with isolated populations elsewhere. Notes: The curved fronds almost seem to form a plane, sometimes parallel to the ground. Some authorities spell it Maiden-hair; I don't know which is correct or whether both terms are acceptable. |
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 |
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