FERNS AND FERN ALLIES

"Ferns have been with us for more than 300 million years and in that time the diversification of their form has been phenomenal. Ferns grow in many different habitats around the world. The ferns were at their height during the Carboniferous Period (the Age of Ferns) as the dominant vegetation at that time. During this era some fern-like groups actually evolved seeds. Much later these seed ferns, gave rise to the flowering plants. Most of the ferns of the Carboniferous became extinct but some later evolved into our modern ferns. There are about 12,000 species in the world today. The leaves or fronds vary greatly in size, from tree ferns, with fronds up to 12 feet long to the mosquito ferns with fronds only 1/16 of an inch long. The arrangement of the reproductive structures of ferns varies greatly. Ferns drop millions, often times billions of spores during their lifetime but very few ever land in a spot suitable for growth."