Ferns and Friends is a document about ferns that contains over 20 pages describing various aspects of ferns such as their botanical name, evolution from aquatic to land environments, development of vascular systems, reproduction through spores instead of seeds, role of gametophytes and prothalli in the life cycle, environmental requirements, uses of rhizomes and roots, size range, role in early ecosystems, locations of fossil evidence, benefits for air filtration and controlling mosquitos, and harvesting of fiddleheads. The document is copyrighted by Annie Cloutier of Sandwich High School in 2013.

1. FERNS and Friends
Botanical name Pteridophyta over 12,000 species
by Annie Cloutier Science Department Sandwich High School Massachusetts 2013
copyright acloutier 2013

2. Plants have evolved from Earth’s aquatic environments
and moved onto lands.
• Ferns developed true
vascular systems
• the xylem and phloem
conduct water and
nutrients from tiny hair-
like roots attached to the
rhizomes, bringing
water to other parts of
the plant
copyright acloutier 2013

3. Ferns make spores not seeds
• A spore is different than
a seed
• Spore are often found
underneath a fern’s
fronds
copyright acloutier 2013

4. Spores are released when they are
mature and fully developed
copyright acloutier 2013

5. Gametophytes large heart shaped structures
• Male antheridia make
sperm to unify with the
archegonia, the female
egg
• This fern structure is
where the haploid (n)
alternate generations are
made
copyright acloutier 2013

6. Prothallus is the gametophytes for ferns
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7. Damp moist environments are
necessary for most ferns
• Water
• Moist soil with humus
• Waxy cuticle protect
spores till they are ready
to be dispersed
copyright acloutier 2013

8. Rhizomes are horizontal stems not true roots
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9. Ferns can grow up to 85 feet (25 meters) !
And are some of the earliest plants ever to live on Earth
copyright acloutier 2013

10. Ferns are good for the environment
floating ferns can suffocate mosquito lava
copyright acloutier 2013

11. Fern Fossils are often found in Pennsylvania and
Rhode Island
• 375 million year old
fern fossils can be found
in the states of
Pennsylvania
• Coal and fossil fuels
come from ancient fern
and bog deposits.
• Carboniferous period is
referred to as the AGE
of FERNS
copyright acloutier 2013

12. Benefits of ferns
they are natural air filters
• One Boston fern can
remove 1,800
micrograms of
formaldehyde from
house hold carpeting in
a single hour
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13. Fiddleheads & Aerial ferns
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14. In the Spring time fiddleheads appear, see if you can
find some outside
…where should you look for them ?
(grocery stores sell them)
The end…
copyright acloutier 2013