Earth Science: Seedless Plants – Ferns The class of true ferns, with some 12,000 species, is the largest group within the spore-producing vascular plants. Its members are distributed worldwide, with the greatest diversity of species found in tropical regions. Most ferns are herbaceous (nonwoody) inhabitants of shady forests, where they usually grow on the ground. … Read more
Earth Science: Biology – Plants and Fungi – Whisk ferns, club mosses, and horsetails The spore-producing vascular plants, Pteridophyta, includes the so-called true ferns, whisk ferns, club mosses, and horsetails. Their life cycle involves spore-based reproduction and the alternation of generations. In ferns, the sporophyte is an independent plant, representing the dominant of the two … Read more
Earth Science: Seedless Plants – Mosses Mosses are small plants that can be found nearly everywhere on Earth. They are especially common in damp, shady environments. Based on differences in their anatomy, mosses can be divided into two large groups: liverworts and leafy mosses. The liverworts (Hepaticae) include some 10,000 species, which can again be … Read more
