The members of the Division Pterophyta are commonly known as ferns and are probably the most familiar of the lower land plants. Unlike bryophytes, the ferns are vascular plants; that is, they contain vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) for the transport of materials throughout their bodies. Because they contain vascular tissue, ferns can attain much larger sizes than bryophtes. Approximately 12,000 species of ferns have been named by botanists; a few of these are illustrated below:
 

In ferns, the leaf (or frond) is the dominant organ of the plant body, while the stem usually runs horizontally underground and is therefore a rhizome. Young fern fronds that have not yet fully developed have a characteristic appearance and are referred to as fiddleheads or croziers:
 

A young, developing fern frond or fiddlehead.

This page last updated: 09 Nov 1999