The Museum houses one of the most important collections of ferns and other seed-free vascular plants in the world, with around 350,000 specimens. The collections span the seventeenth century to the present day. They are especially valuable due to their richness in types, historical collections and ... The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (land plants with vascular tissues such as xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from non-vascular plants (mosses, hornworts and liverworts) by having specialized transport bundles that conduct water and nutrients from and to the roots, as well as life cycles in which the branched sporophyte is the dominant phase. [3] Ferns have complex leaves called megaphylls ... Fern - Medicinal, Ornamental, Food: Many species are a source of food and medicine. The greatest economic value is in horticulture and biological research. The typical fern, a sporophyte, consists of stem, leaf, and root, usually perennial, and reproduces vegetatively. The spores are on the fronds, dispersed by wind and then if they germinate form prothallia. Each of these fern plants brings its unique charm, whether displayed in a hanging basket, as a tabletop plant, or in a shaded garden corner.
