Diversity+of+Life-Plants

Diversity of Life
===﻿Kingdon: Plantae === Athyrium filix-femina


 * __Contents__
 * 1) Taxonomy
 * 2) Introduction
 * 3) Morphological Features
 * 4) Anatomical/Physiological Features
 * 5) Range of Habitat
 * 6) Interesting Facts
 * 7) References ||

** Taxonomy **


 * Kingdom || Plantae ||
 * Phylum || Pteridophyta ||
 * Class || Pteridopsida ||
 * Order || Polypodiales ||
 * Family || Woodsiaceae ||
 * Genus || Athyrium ||
 * Species || filix-femina ||

Plants are organisms that contain chlorophyll inside of their cells, enabling them to make their own food. Pteridophyta is a phylum within the Plantae kingdom that refers to seedless plants that have xylem and phloem, making them vascular. Of the Pteridophyta phylum, over 97% of species are ferns. Ferns are highly adapting, and are found is almost all habitats in which flowering plants are found. In ferns and other pteridophytes, the sporophyte is the dominant generation, while the gametophyte is short-lived and usually hidden from view.

** Introduction **

Commonly known as the "Lady Fern", the species Athyrium filix-femina is a vascular, seedless plant that is catergorized under the Pteridophyta phylum. Found throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, where it is one of the more common ferns, the fronds of Athyrium filix-femina often serves as a food source for many animals. Often confused with the wood fern Dryopteris carthusiana, Athyrium filix-femina is usually found on perennially wet soil, and can survive severe battering if its roots are protected and in presence of a water source.

** Morphological Features **

Lacy, deciduous and densely clumped, Athyrium filix-femina can grow from 24 to 36 inches tall. The fronds are usually bright green, tufted and erect, up to 24 to 36 inches in length and 6 to 9 inches in width. The leaf stalk is often tan, reddish or brownish, with scales brown to dark brown. The pinnae, or primary leaflets, are short-stalked or sessile in general, whereas the pinnules (secondary leaflets) are deeply cut. The sori are clustered at the pinnule base, and ripen midsummer.



** Anatomical/Physiological Features **

As we mentioned in the introduction to the the phylum of Pteridophyta, the main difference between ferns and other plants are due to the fact that they are both vascular and seedless, unlike mosses and seeding plants. Athyrium filix-femina use spores to reproduce instead of seeds. There are two main phases of the reproduction cycle of ferns: the gametophyte phase and the sporophyte phase, where the sporophytes are dominant. First, mature spore haploids are released from the sporangium after meiosis. The sperm spore then meets the egg spore and form a zygote within a gametophyte, which supports the growth of a new sporophyte which can produce spores when mature, and the cycle repeats itself.



Also, Athyrium filix-femina have a special feature of circinate vernation, which is a term used to describe the coiling of young fern leaves to protect the unmature spores.



** Range of Habitat **

Below is a map of the areas of which Athyrium filix-femina is present in North America.



** Interesting Facts **


 * One of the most popular ferns in the Victorian Fern Craze.


 * References **


 * 1) "A thyrium Filix-femina, Lady Fern, Athyrium Fougere-femelle, Skogburkne, Majbraken, Fjerbregne, Soreahiirenporras, Hiirenporras, Fjollaufungur, Wald-Frauenfarn, Gemeiner Waldfarn, Raineach Moire." Rook.Org Home Page. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. .
 * 2) "Athyrium Filix-femina." US Forest Service - Caring for the Land and Serving People. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. .
 * 3) "The Ferns." The University of the West Indies (UWI) at Cave Hill, Barbados. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. .
 * 4) "Plants Profile - Athyrium Filix-femina (L.) Roth (Athyriaceae) - Felce Femmina - Lady Fern." Botanica, Sinonimi E Vari Ipertesti Didattici - Lunedì, 15 Novembre 2010 - S. ALBERTO M., S. ARTURO - 1289802213. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. .
 * 5) "Athyrium Filix-femina." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. .
 * 6) Rhizomes, By Dividing. "PlantFiles: Detailed Information on Lady Fern Athyrium Filix-femina." Tips and Advice on Outdoor Gardening, Flower Gardens, Plants, & Seeds - Dave's Garden. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1526/>.