The Myth of the Red Fern

Here is some of the material from my presentation as well as some that I didn't have time to get to.

Fern Facts:
Ferns are a part of the Plantae group called featherplants or pteridophytes.
Featherplants are some of the oldest plants on earth, dating around 400 million years.
Most coal is derived from featherplants.
The Cyathea tree fern can grow to be 80 feet or higher.
The Wall Rue fern is 2-3 inches tall.
Ferns do not have seeds.
Ferns do not produce flowers.
Ferns reproduce through the production of spores.
Spores are produced in sporangia sacs on the underside of the leaves.

Sporangia on a fern frond

The spores develop into tiny heart shaped plants which produce both male and female cells.
Ferns can only reproduce when the male cells are allowed to "swim" to the female ones through rainwater.
The only climate unsuitable to grow ferns is Antarctica.
Ferns have outlived the dinosaurs.
Ferns grow fronds and not leaves.
Sigmund Freud had a morbid fear of ferns.
The woodmouse, short-tailed bat, and bullfinch all eat fern spores as a primary food source.
There are more than 12,000 varieties of ferns.
There is no actual "red fern," there are merely variations in pigmentation and seasonal color changes.

The Autumn Fern turns a rusty color during Spring

It remains a scientific mystery that water drawn from fern roots to leaves can travel against the force of gravity.
The grape fern turns a spectacular fiery red color in the Winter.

The Grape Fern during Winter

Ferns form the prominent base layer to most any tropical area.
Ferns are known to form symbiotic relationships with host plants.
While forming bonds with host plants, ferns are never parasitic and often a source of nutrients for the host.
The rhizomes of the Licorice Fern contain a potent steroidal compound that is 3,000 times sweeter than sucrose. Using this sweetener is illegal in the United States but the plant can be purchased at most nurseries.
Some ferns in the genus Athyrium have shocking maroons and reds for the color of veins and stems.

Lady Fern

Japanese Painted Fern

Japanese Painted Fern