Fern
/FERN/🌳 Plant Types● Basic
Also known as: pteridophyte
A member of the division Pteridophyta, characterized by vascular tissue but reproduction via spores rather than seeds or flowers. Ferns have fronds (leaves) that typically unfurl from coiled fiddleheads. They require moisture for reproduction since sperm must swim to eggs. Ferns occupy diverse habitats from tropical rainforests to temperate woodlands and include some of the oldest plant lineages on Earth.
Etymology
Old English fearn, from Proto-Germanic farnō
Example
“The lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) thrives in moist, shaded woodland gardens.”