Glossary

abaxial

the under side of a frond or pinnae, facing away from an axis

acicular

needle like, pointed

acroscopic

pointed towards the apex of the frond

acrostichoid

a solid covering of sori on the underside of the frond

acuminate

gradually tapering to a long point

acute

a sharp tip

adaxial

he upper surface of a frond or pinnae, facing an axis

adnate

fused with or broadly attached to an unlike part, for example a pinna united with a rachis

aerial roots

growing in the air as on tree ferns

allelopathy

the release of a chemical by one plant to inhibit the growth of nearby plants

alternate

not opposite

anadromous

with the first branch of a pinna aimed towards the frond’s apex

anastomosing

with veins joining in a network rather than freely branching

antheridium

the sperm producing male organ, found on the underside of the prothallus

apex

the tip of a frond or pinnae

apogamous

producing a sporophyte directly from a prothallus without sexual fertilization

appressed

pressed flat together

areole

the space enclosed between veins

archegonium

the egg producing female organ on a prothallus

articulate

jointed, a natural breaking point usually on a stipe

auricle

an ear like lobe, frequently on a pinnae adjacent to its juncture with the rachis

axis

the main structural support of a frond or its subdivisions

basiscopic

pointing towards the base, frequently as on a lower pinnule

biauriculate

with two ear like lobes usually at the pinnae attachment to the rachis

bicolorous

having two colors, usually applies to the scales

bipinnate

twice divided

blade

the expanded leafy part of a frond above the stipe; sometimes called the lamina

bulbil

or bulblet – a small bulb like growth on a frond  that reproduces vegetatively

calcareous

type of soil or rocks containing lime

catadromous

with the first branch of a pinnae aimed away from the frond’s apex

ciliate

bearing hairs (cilia)

circinate

coiled with the apex of the emerging frond at the center of the coil

clathrate

lattice like often in reference to scales

concolorous

of one color

cone

modified leaves that carry sporangia

cordate

heart shaped as in the base of a blade

costa

the midvein of a pinna

crenate

with scalloped margins, rounded teeth

crested

with frond, pinnae or pinnule tips forking

crisped

with wavy margins

crosier

the curled unfurling frond, also called the fiddlehead (sometimes spelled crozier)

crown

the growing point of a stem producing fronds usually in a circle

cultivar

a cultivated variety of a species

deciduous

with fronds that die back at maturity, usually in the late fall or winter

deltoid

triangular

dentate

with teeth along the margins, (diminutive – denticulate)

dimorphic

having two types of fronds, sterile and fertile different in form

disjunct

from a different geographical area

discombobulated

“the feeling an uninitiated fern amateur might have when encountering  technical terms” Palmer, 2003

distal

toward a tip, away from the main body

elliptic

oval, widest in the middle and rounded at the ends

elongate

long relative to width

endemic

native to a particular country or region

entire

undivided, with smooth margins

epiphyte

growing on another plant, usually a tree, but not parasitic

evergreen

carrying fronds throughout the winter

exindusiate

without indusia

falcate

sickle shaped

false indusia

with frond margins rolled over the sori

farina

waxy powder, usually white or yellow, found on the undersides of blades

fastigiate

narrowly erect

fertile

bearing spores

fiddlehead

crosier, the unfurling curled frond

fimbriate

fringed

flabellate

fan shaped

free

not united usually in reference to veins

frond

the leaf of a fern including the stipe and blade

gametophyte

the sexual plant, the prothallus, produced from spores bearing both sperms and an egg, which after fertilization will produce the sporophyte.

gemma

an asexual bud that is carried on the stem, plural, gemmae

glabrous

smooth

glaucous

dull bluish-green with a very thin, white wax-like coating

hair

composed of a single cell or row of cells only one cell thick

hastate

shaped like an arrowhead

heterosporous

having two types of spores usually differing in size

homosporous

having one type of spore

hydathode

a small vein tip on the upper surface of a blade often discharging water or mineral salts

imbricate

overlapping of similar parts

incised

deeply cut

indusiate

having indusia

indusium

a small membrane or tissue covering the sori, plural indusia

jointed

breaking at certain points

lacerate

torn

laciniate

cut into narrow lobes

lamina

the blade of a frond

lanceolate

lance shaped

leaflet

a small division of a frond

linear

narrow and parallel sided

lobe

a rounded but not separate segment

medial

midway between the midrib and margin, usually in reference to the sori

midrib

(or mid vein) the central vein of a blade or its subdivisions

monomorphic

having one type of frond

mucronate

with a short pointed tip

node

the point on a stem where new growth is attached

nothospecies

a species derived from existing species, usually originating following hybridization between species.

palmate

like a hand

peltate

circular, centrally attached, usually in reference to indusia

petiole

a stalk, the stipe

phyllopodium

the crater-like scar left when a jointed frond falls from the rhizome, plural phyllopodia

pinna

a primary division of a fern blade, plural pinnae

pinnate

having pinnae in rows on both sides of an axis, once divided

pinnate-pinnatifid

once divided with deeply lobed pinnae, but not cut to the midrib

pinnatifid

deeply lobed but not cut to the axis

pinnule

the secondary division of a twice divided blade

proliferous

having propagable buds or plantlets

propagule

a structure capable of forming new plants

prothallus

the gametophyte, a small fertile plant bearing sperms and an egg, plural prothalli

proximal

toward the base

pteridophyte

a fern

quadripinnate

four times divided

rachis

the midrib of the blade, a continuation of the stipe

reniform

kidney shaped

reticulate

describes veins that meet in a network

rhizome

a stem from which fronds are produced, can be erect to short or long creeping

scale

a multicellular flat growth, usually only one cell thick

segment

a small division of a divided frond

serpentine

soil or rocks high in magnesium and low in phosphorous and calcium with limited plant life

serrate

with teeth as on a saw blade

sessile

without a stalk

simple

undivided

sinus

a space between two lobes or segments

sorus

a group of sporangia, plural sori

spinulose

having spines along a margin

sporangiaster

a structure, usually consisting of a short stalk terminated by a cluster of bulbous and/or glandular cells and interspersed among sporangia in a sorus

sporangium

the fern’s spore bearing structure, plural sporangia

spore

a one celled reproductive unit formed in the sporangium, produces a prothallus

sporeling

a very young fern, name given to one just developing from a prothallus

sporocarp

a hard nut like structure containing the sporangium of aquatic ferns

sporophyte

the familiar fern, the generation that produces spores

stalk

a supporting structure

stalked

attached with a stalk

stellate

branching in a star like fashion, often referring to hairs

sterile

not producing spores

stipe

the stalk connecting the blade to the rhizome, petiole

stipule

an outgrow usually on both sides of the base of the stipe

stolon

a runner, capable of rooting at the tips and forming new plants

strobilus

a cone like reproductive structure at the tip of a fertile branch, plural strobili

symbiotic

two mutually supportive organisms growing together

ternate

arranged in threes

terrestrial

growing in soil

tripinnate

three times divided

truncate

ending abruptly, perpendicular to an axis

undulate

wavy

vascular bundles

the internal conduction system carrying water and nutrients

vegetative frond

lacking fertile material

vein

strands of vascular tissue in the foliage, may be netted or free

whorled

three or more leaves growing at the same level around a stem

wing

frond blade tissue along a stipe or rachis

xerophyte

a plant growing in a dry area