fern: Ancient Ferns

During the Carboniferous era, ancestors to modern ferns were the dominant vegetation of the earth; they contributed to the coal deposits then being formed. Ancient ferns were probably similar to the tree ferns, a declining race found today only in a few tropical areas. Their fronds are clustered at the top of a treelike trunk, sometimes 30 or 40 ft (9–12 m) in height, rather than growing directly from the rootstalk as do those of most temperate ferns.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Classification
• Uses and Lore
• Reproduction
• Ancient Ferns
• Common Species
• Bibliography

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