FERNS

__Ferns __ __ Environment (where they are found) __ Ferns grow in damp and dark areas like the bottom layer of the rainforests. They grow best in sheltered and moist areas of the forests and along streams and creeks and places where there is permanent moisture. Ferns grow in the rainforests in northern Queensland, along the coast of New South Wales and in Victoria and Tasmania. They grow in areas that have lots of rainfall. Some ferns are parasites (plants that live on another living plant) These are the staghorn and elkhorn ferns and they grow on the trunks of trees. __What It Looks Like (Appearance) __ Ferns are very old plants. They have been on the earth for more than 360 million years. They are called ‘vascular plants’ which means they have veins which carry water and nutrients around the inside of the fern. Ferns have small, fine leaves called fronds, which grow from curled-up buds. Ferns do not have flowers so they cannot make seeds. They make new plants by releasing tiny spores, which are usually on the underside of the fronds. Spores are so light that they are carried away to new ground by the slightest wind.

__ Life Cycle and Needs __  Ferns are not like most plants. They do not have flowers and cannot make seeds, they have spores instead. The spores are found in clusters under the fronds. These clusters are called ‘sori’. When the sori turn brown it means they are ready to release the spores. The spores fall to the ground and sprout when the temperature and moisture conditions are right. Small green heart shaped plants, called ‘gametophytes’ start to grow. These plants are very tiny and form both sperm and egg cells and will fertilise itself. Once the fertilisation happens the fern plant begins to grow. The little fern plants look like moss. The small plants need to stay out of the sunlight or they will dry out and die. They will start to grow tiny fronds and develop into an adult fern plant and the life cycle will begin again. __What are the uses? (what do people and animals use it for?) __

The trunk of the tree fern is used as a building material in some tropical communities. Some very small ferns are used a fertiliser in rice fields in southeast Asia. Some types of fern fronds are used by florists for floral decorations and flower arrangements. Some fronds of particular types of ferns are cooked and eaten in North America and in Japan. Ferns are cooked and eaten as green vegetables in some native groups. Many ferns are grown as crops for food. Many ferns are grown to be sold to people for their gardens. These are called ornamental ferns. Some of the trunks (stems) and roots of the ferns are used to grow other plants such as orchids. Some fern roots called ‘pulu’ are collected and used as stuffing for mattress and pillows and also as packing material. Native peoples also use ferns for medicinal purposes. That is they use the ferns to make medicines to help the sick people get better.

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