Dominant Identifying Characteristics of Ferns

Fronds

• The leaf bearing structures that fill a fern plant are called fronds. These leaves that make up a frond are generally small and protrude off sleek, stick-like structures called rachis, giving ferns their full look. This set-up is quite dissimilar to the leaf arrangement most plants feature, as the leaves protrude in a relatively symmetrical pattern, giving ferns their distinctive looks.

Rhizomes

• At the base of the fern plant, holding it all together, is the rhizome. A rhizome is the part of the fern plant from which fronds protrude to the top and roots protrude from the bottom. While this portion of the plant can stick up from the soil slightly, generally it lays buried relatively deeply in the soil, making it an underlying, though not visible, part of the fern plant.

Sporangia

• Sporangia are the reproductive structures present on fern leaves. These structures lay on the underside of the fern leaves and can take on a variety of different patterns. When formed together into clusters, they are called sori. These sporangia drop to the ground when it rains and ultimately become new fern plants. This process, quite different from the normal pollination process, is one of the key characteristics of a fern.

Home Habitats

• Fern plants can thrive in a wide array of habitats. Some ferns live in aquatic habitats and extend their root structure into the water instead of taking root in soil. Others survive in inhospitable deserts while some live in arctic tundras. This ability to thrive in a variety of settings is highly uncommon and is another dominant characteristic of this more-complex-than-it-appears plant.