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

2. 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 different species of vascular plants
Can survive in water and land

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. 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!

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

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

13. 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

14. 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

18. References
identification-101
fauna/flora/ferns.html