We went on a fern wander last November. I've been meaning to post the shots since then, and now that I am studying for exams, it seems like the perfect time. There is a fine line between studying and procrastinating.
Huge bi-pinnate frond from a tree fern.
Can a fern be palmate?
Climbing fern.
More tree ferns.
The technical name for this is a crozier, but I still prefer the term 'fiddle head'.
Perhaps this would be a 'cello head' then.
This one looks a bit like Chewbacca. It's rather pleasing to pet.
I personally would have never guessed the above plant was a fern, unless I turned a leaflet over (see below) and discover the sori (singular: sorus, which is made up of sporangia, which are each filled with 64 spores). But actually the ones below are synangia, which are basically sporangia which have become fused together and there are therefore hundreds of spores in each synangia, rather than the usual 64. This makes this a eusporangiate fern (order Marattiales). Got it?
More synangia.
Dicksonia species
Some proper sori. These ones have a thin covering over them called an indusium. Indusia come in various shapes, some species have two covering each sorus and some have none at all. I'm not totally sure if the ones photographed above are true indusia or false-indusia, the latter being created by the rolling over of the tip of the frond.
Osmunda species - the sporangia are borne on separate 'fronds'.
Multi-coloured synangia.
And here's a complex thalloid liverwort, just so I don't forget yesterday's studying.
And a flowering plant - this one is an Araceae - the same family as skunk cabbage - who woulda thunk?
We went on a fern wander last November. I've been meaning to post the shots since then, and now that I am studying for exams, it seems like the perfect time. There is a fine line between studying and procrastinating.
Huge bi-pinnate frond from a tree fern.
Can a fern be palmate?
Climbing fern.
More tree ferns.
The technical name for this is a crozier, but I still prefer the term 'fiddle head'.
Perhaps this would be a 'cello head' then.
This one looks a bit like Chewbacca. It's rather pleasing to pet.
I personally would have never guessed the above plant was a fern, unless I turned a leaflet over (see below) and discover the sori (singular: sorus, which is made up of sporangia, which are each filled with 64 spores). But actually the ones below are synangia, which are basically sporangia which have become fused together and there are therefore hundreds of spores in each synangia, rather than the usual 64. This makes this a eusporangiate fern (order Marattiales). Got it?
More synangia.
Dicksonia species
Osmunda species - the sporangia are borne on separate 'fronds'.
Multi-coloured synangia.
And here's a complex thalloid liverwort, just so I don't forget yesterday's studying.
And a flowering plant - this one is an Araceae - the same family as skunk cabbage - who woulda thunk?
4 comments:
You should start a "what plant is this?" contest on your blog with exciting surprise prizes.
Ferns creep me out.
Just kidding.
I did a non medical post just for you.
:)
xo
Oh yes, I could offer exciting student prizes. Like maybe some paper dug out of the recycling bin, or maybe a bungy chord that no longer holds 5th gear in place, or the parsnips from our veggie box.
Great fern pics. The crozier ones call to mind one of my favorite science-y utterings:
circinate vernation.
Oooh. Gives me chills to say it aloud. So so satisfying.
Also on the list:
*liquor folliculi (accent on the 2nd syllable)
*Massimo Pigliucci (Italian plant evolutionary biologist SLASH all around bad mamma-jamma with one of the best names. Ever.)
Much love,
Texas Botanist (US)
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