There are many plants in the world that we don't even know about. One of these may be rare species of ferns. They form a separate group that belongs to vascular plants. Ferns are the main representatives of the oldest flora that has survived to this day. Back in the Devonian period, about 400 million years ago, the first representatives of this species appeared. Ancient ferns differed from modern ones in large size and reigned on the planet, since there was practically no other vegetation. To date, there are approximately 10,000 of their species. Some of them can be grown at home. They differ significantly in structure and life cycle.
Morphology
Among ferns, there are both herbaceous and arboreal forms of life.
The body of a fern consists of leaf blades, a petiole, a modified shoot and roots (vegetative and adventitious). Fern leaves are called vayas.
In temperate forests, ferns usually have a short stem, which is a rhizome found in the soil. The stem has a well-developed conducting tissue, between the bundles of which the cells of the main parenchymal tissue are located.
Vayi (fern leaves) unfold above the soil surface, growing from the buds of the rhizome. These leaf-like organs have apical growth and can reach large sizes, usually they serve two functions - photosynthesis and sporulation. Sporangia are located on the lower surface of the leaf, and haploid spores develop in them.
Application
Both fern leaves and rhizomes are used. Decoctions, tinctures, dry powders and elixirs are made from them. For each individual disease, a more suitable form of medicine is used.
Fern leaf remedies:
- Broth - 1 tbsp. l. dry plant leaves pour a glass of water and boil for 15 minutes. Cool and drain. It is used to combat parasites.
- With leukemia 1 tsp. dry leaves of the plant are added to food a day (salads, main courses). The course of admission is 1 month.
- To normalize sleep and improve its quality, dry leaves of the plant are placed in a mattress.
- Many dishes are prepared from young shoots of plants (salads, various snacks), which have a preventive, curative and restorative effect.
Preparations from the rhizomes of this plant have strong antihelminthic and cleansing properties.
The sedge and rockball grass have antihelminthic properties.
The broth is effective for mental and nervous disorders, diarrhea and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
External use relieves pain, spasms and relieves diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis and neuralgia.
Fern rhizome remedies:
- Broth - 10 grams of dry ground rhizomes of the plant, pour a glass of water and cook over low heat. When the liquid is reduced by 2 times, it is necessary to remove the broth from the heat and cool. After strain, pour into a container for storage and put in the refrigerator. It is used mainly in the fight against tape parasites.
- Broth for external use - pour 200 grams of dry ground rhizomes of the plant with 2 liters of water. Cook over low heat for about 2 hours with the lid closed. Then cool and strain.Used for medicinal baths and various lotions.
- Tincture - take 1 part of dry crushed rhizomes of the plant and 4 parts of 70% alcohol. Insist for 14 days, shaking occasionally, then strain. It is applied externally (rubbed into painful places).
- With varicose veins, it is necessary to mix the dry crushed rhizome of the plant with sour milk, until a gruel is formed. Apply this product to problem areas, wrap with gauze and keep for 5-6 hours.
With varicose veins, tarragon, hazel, butchery, fragrant rue, ivy bud, irgu, carrots, elderberry are used.
Did you know? Ferns appeared on the planet 350 million years ago and are relict plants, because they have survived since the time of the dinosaurs.
Life cycle
In the life cycle of a fern, asexual and sexual generations alternate - sporophyte and gametophyte. The sporophyte phase predominates.
On the lower part of the leaf, a sporangium opens, spores settle on the ground, a spore germinates, an overgrowth with gametes appears, fertilization occurs, a young plant appears.
In the most primitive ferns, the sporangia have a multilayer wall and do not carry special devices for opening. In more advanced ones, the sporangium has a single-layer wall and adaptations for active opening. This device looks like a ring. Already among the primitive ferns, a diversity of spores can be traced. Modern species have a small number of homosporous species. The gametophyte is usually bisexual. In primitives, it is underground and always in symbiosis with mushrooms. In advanced gametophytes, they are aboveground, green, and rapidly maturing. They usually look like a green heart-shaped plate. Gametophytes of heterosporous ferns differ from homosporous ferns (in addition to their dioeciousness) by a strong reduction, especially of the male gametophyte. The female gametophyte, which consumes reserve nutrients from the megaspores, is more developed and has nutritive tissue for the future sporophyte embryo. Moreover, the development of such gametophytes occurs inside the membranes of mega- and microspores.
Harm and contraindications
Despite the fact that the plant has many useful properties, it also has contraindications. The fern contains toxic substances, which makes it impossible for some groups of people to use it.
Poisonous substances also contain European dodder, dieffenbachia, cyclamen, cassia, goldenrod.
The use of this plant is strictly prohibited for pregnant and lactating women. Children are allowed to use it only from 2 years old.
Also, you can not use the fern for people with such diseases:
- tuberculosis;
- anemia;
- fever;
- problems with the work of the liver and kidneys;
- ulcers of the stomach and duodenum.
Important! Even if you do not belong to any of the groups described above, you should still consult with an experienced doctor before using fern (or preparations based on it).
Overdose symptoms in which you need to urgently empty the stomach (take a saline laxative) and call a doctor:
- nausea and vomiting;
- convulsions;
- severe and sharp headache, dizziness;
- lowering blood pressure;
- problematic breathing;
- decreased cardiac activity.
Classification
Numerous schemes have been proposed for the classification of ferns at different times, and they often do not agree well with each other. Modern research supports earlier ideas based on morphological data. At the same time, in 2006, Alan Smith (eng. Alan R. Smith
), a research botanist at the University of California at Berkeley, and others have proposed a new classification based, in addition to morphological data, on recent molecular systematic studies.
Horses - ancient ferns
The most ancient and primitive representatives of the fern family are the snake subclass. Externally, plants are significantly different from their counterparts. The jellyfish has only 1 leaf, which is divided into sterile and spore-bearing parts.
Common gingerbread
The main feature is the presence of cambium rudiments. In other ferns, such an abundance of features of the internal structure is not observed. A snake plant can be identified by the number of scars on the rhizome. Even the smallest representative can live up to 100 years. The occasionally inconspicuous fern is the same age as the surrounding trees. On average, the height of an already adult fern is no more than 20 cm.
Economic value
The economic value of ferns is not that great compared to seed plants.
Such species as Orlyak ordinary (Pteridium aquilinum
), Common ostrich (
Matteuccia struthiopteris
), Osmund cinnamon (
Osmunda cinnamomea
) other.
Some species are poisonous. The most toxic ferns growing in temperate latitudes are representatives of the genus Shytovnik (Dryopteris
), the rhizomes of which contain derivatives of phloroglucinol. Extracts from thyme have anthelmintic effect and are used in medicine. Some representatives of the Kochedyzhnik (
Athyrium
) and Ostrich (
Matteuccia
).
Some ferns (nephrolepis, kostenets, pteris and others) have been used as houseplants since the 19th century.
The fronds of some dryopteris (for example, Dryopteris intermedia) are widely used as a green component of floristic compositions. Orchids are often grown in a special "peat" of densely intertwined thin roots of chistomus.
The trunks of tree ferns serve as a building material in the tropics, and in Hawaii, their starchy core is used for food.
Chemical composition
Fern is used not only in landscape design, but also in cooking and medicine. This is due to the fact that the plant has an original taste (similar to asparagus) and a rich composition.
Nutritional value (per 100 g of product):
- proteins - 4.6 g;
- fats - 0.4 g;
- carbohydrates - 5.5 g;
- water - 88.68 g.
The calorie content is only 34 kcal per 100 g of fresh plant.
Trace elements:
- nickel;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- iodine;
- manganese;
- phosphorus;
- sodium;
- magnesium;
- copper;
- sulfur.
Medical components:
- flavonoids;
- tannins;
- essential oils and fats;
- various acids (nicotinic, glutamic, hydrocyanic and others);
- alkaloids;
- starchy substances;
- carotene;
- riboflavin;
- enzymes (glycoside, thiaminase and others).
Manifold
Here are some examples of horsetails, lymphoids and ferns found in the modern world. There are quite a lot of sponges, among them there are poisonous ones:
- Club-shaped - refers to poisonous. Its growth zone is Siberia and the Far East; the plant can also be found in the Caucasus. Its height is just over 50 cm.
- Yearly. Prefers moist spruce and fir forests. It is known as a long-liver in the flora world and can exist for up to 40 years.
- Flattened. You can meet him on mossy swamps and sandy soils.
- Barbed. The length of the stem of this sycamore from Karelia is up to one meter. However, shoots rarely exceed 10 cm.
Horsetails are also very diverse. There are about 30 types of them on the planet:
- The field is used for medicinal purposes, as it is rich in potassium, calcium and tannins.
- Wintering. Nail files are made from its stems.
- Lugovoi. Refers to the number of common plants.
Here are some examples of ferns:
- Orlyak ordinary.
- Shieldworm.
- Salvinia.
- Kochedyzhnik.
- Kostenets.
So, horsetails, ploons, ferns differ in a wide variety. Many species of these plants are actively used by humans. So, ferns often become true decorations of landscape design compositions.
Shieldworm
In nature, this plant grows in the mountains among stones or in a shady forest. In height, it can reach from 30 to 150 centimeters. The thyme has a powerful rhizome, from which leaves on long petioles form a goblet rosette. The plant develops very slowly. The name of ferns in some cases is due to their biological characteristics. The same can be said about the shitnikov. On the underside of the leaves of the plant are spore-bearing organs, covered with kidney-shaped plates, like shields. This feature gave the name to the fern. The plant is poisonous. Nevertheless, many healers use its rhizome to make medicinal potions.
Salvinia
This plant is rare and needs protection. Very often, salvinia is grown specifically for landscaping aquariums. The plant can be seen in the reservoirs of botanical gardens. Outwardly, it does not look like the usual ferns. The stem of the salvinia is thin and long (about 15 cm). The leaves are collected in three. Two of them are solid, elliptical in shape with a heart-shaped base. The third sheet is underwater. It is covered with hairs and dissected into filamentary strips similar to roots.
This leaf absorbs nutrients and water.
Pteris
Pteris (lat. Pteris) is a genus that unites 250 species of tropical and subtropical ferns with graceful leaves, among which there are both monochromatic and variegated.
The following types are popular in home cultivation:
- Cretan pteris.
- Long-leaved pteris.
- Sword-leaved pteris.
- Pteris trembling.
All these moisture-loving ferns are unpretentious in cultivation and are demanding only on the irrigation regime.
Maidenhair
The adiantum (lat. Adiantum) is a genus of very beautiful curly ferns with pinnately complex fan-shaped fronds, the segments of which are obovate, trapezoidal or wedge-shaped. The group includes about 200 species, whose habitat includes southern Africa, the subtropical region of Europe, China and India, as well as the mountainous part of Asia.
Ferns of this genus are considered the most unpretentious in home cultivation. The most common decorative type is called true hair (lat.Adiantum capillus-veneris). In Russia, there is also a foot-shaped maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum).
Pellea
Among the representatives of the genus Pellaea (lat. Pellaea) there are not only the inhabitants of the tropics and subtropics, but also the "inhabitants" of the temperate regions. For the special shape of the leaves, these plants were nicknamed "button ferns".
Unlike most of its congeners, pellea prefers dry air, which eliminates the need to artificially humidify room air. Nevertheless, this plant is considered one of the most capricious types of ferns, which is why it is relatively uncommon in decorative floriculture.
The most common indoor type is the round-leaved pellet (lat.Pellaea rotundifolia). This fern lacks a stem (frond grows directly from the rhizome). Leaves are leathery, dark green, pinnately dissected, with oval lobes.
By the place of growth
Ferns grow all over the globe. They feel comfortable in mountains, forests, bodies of water, tropical jungles and even arid areas. Many of them are cultivated and serve as decoration for arboretums, parks and greenhouses.
Groundcover
Shady forests hide a wide variety of ground cover ferns, which are characterized by lush and abundant leaf blades with dark green feathery fringes and an elongated shoot. They need moisture to grow comfortably.
The following varieties are widespread:
- Linnaeus Holokuchnik;
- Average coniogram;
- Robert's Holokuchnik;
- Beech Fegopteris.
Rocky
Among the rocks, high in the mountains, you can find extraordinary species of ferns. Delicate plants adhere firmly to rocky and gravelly areas. Among them are:
- The vesicle is brittle;
- Pharmacy squeegee;
- Centipede;
- Woodsia Elbe.
All representatives of this group are dry-loving. To exist in the mountains, they have dense vayas.
So, Spike moss is a miracle fern that can do without water for 100 years. But as soon as it is immersed in liquid, the plant comes to life and becomes bright green. An amazing find for the florarium.
Swampy
Swamp ferns undoubtedly deserve special attention:
- Royal Osmund. Forms a powerful rosette-bump of double-pinnate wai. Another name for the plant is Chistoustom the majestic;
- Phlebodium is a beautiful deciduous plant, which is also called blue fern for its bluish tint;
- Marsh telipteris. On the water surface it forms extraordinary rafts, is a rare species;
- Onoklea sensitive has an unusual rosette of leaves of two types, differing in shape. Floats on the surface of lakes;
- Woodward Virginia. Large representative who prefers swamps.
Aquatic
In the water bodies of Africa and southern Europe, Salvinia is found swimming. It is cultivated for home ponds and aquariums. On the surface of shallow lakes, you can find Marsilia ferns, the frond of which strikingly resemble clover and are edible.
Cultic
They are represented by large creeping stem ferns. The length of the plant, as a rule, is no more than 50 centimeters. Leaves - 4, 5-pinnate, small (up to 3 cm). The petioles are light or dark brown. Leaves not fully developed, covered with light brown or reddish hairs. The fern plant names of this species are as follows: Culcita coniifolia (native to the north and center of South America) and C. macrocarpa (in the Macaronesian floristic area). The number of this species is steadily declining.
That is why the fern of this species is included in the list of protected plants in Portugal and Spain.
Home care
Features of care after purchase
The soil should be loose, breathable, fertile, with a high humus content and good drainage.
Lighting
Shieldworm likes shaded places, they need to be placed away from the window or on the north side.
Temperature
Optimally - 14-19 °, with an increase of more than 25 ° it will hurt. Originally a forest plant, the Dwarf plant is able to withstand temperatures as low as minus 25 °, making it a suitable candidate for outdoor cultivation. It will overwinter without any problems, even if you forget to cover it.
Watering
Constant soil moisture should be maintained without stagnant water in the sump. Sprinkle with softened water every 2-3 days.
Air humidity
High! Frequent spraying required ground parts.
Top dressing
The shield grows slowly does not need frequent feeding. Once every 1-1.5 months, you can add a complex of minerals for ferns.
Transfer
Young specimens transplanted every spring in a larger pot with a complete replacement of the soil, older ones - less often, once every 2-3 years.
Pruning
Cut off old, yellowed fronds or strong overgrown ones in order to preserve the decorative effect of the shititnik.
Briefly about mosses
Consider how mosses differ from horsetails, lyre and ferns. First of all, as mentioned above, ferns have a more complex structure:
- Mosses do not have roots (although some varieties have rhizoids that are attached to the ground), while horsetails, lymphoids and ferns have these organs, including adventitious ones.
- The body of mosses is a thallus, that is, organs are not secreted in it. And the plants in question have a root and a shoot.
- Mosses have microscopic simple leaves, while ferns have a more complex structure.
It should also be noted that mosses are capable of the process of photosynthesis even under snow. Therefore, they remain evergreen. But the absorption of carbon dioxide and the release of oxygen is very slow.
Description of the plant
Fern is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Osmundov family, the Fern family. The homeland of the plant is North China, Korea, the Far East Russian region. Distributed in Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Central Asia. It is a green stem with numerous feathery dissected leaves. The fern reproduces only with the help of spores, does not bloom.
Interesting. Fern belongs to the most ancient plants on the planet, which appeared in the Devonian period of the Paleozoic era. The wood of the plant later became a source of coal.
It is believed that this plant is a descendant of the first plants on the planet - rhinophytes. Their branches gradually turned into leaves, while the spores moved from the end of the branches to the underside of the leaf. The process of emergence and maturation of spores is very similar to the growth of flowers. The collection of the plant takes place all summer long.
Today there are thousands of fern species.
Fern structure, flowering
The stem of the fern is smooth and has no scales. The root system is powerful. The root belongs to creeping, buds are formed on it, from which young shoots are formed. Stepsons emerge from the ground at a distance of 10 to 20 cm. At first, they have a snail-like head, which gradually turns into leaves.
Sporulation is the main breeding method for ferns. Spores grow on the back of the leaf. As it matures, the spore capsule cracks and the spores fly away in the wind. As soon as they fall on fertile soil, they begin to grow.
During the growth of the spore, an overgrowth is formed in the form of a small green cup. On the back of the outgrowth, sperm and eggs appear. After fertilization of the egg, seed germination begins, and the stepson begins to put down roots. The fern forms a bush for several years. Fern flowering is impossible.
Fern vegetative propagation is possible. In this case, long arrows are formed on the bush. They bend over to the kidney and are pressed down by a stone. Such reproduction is carried out by a person in a garden or summer cottage. The arrow takes root into the ground. For transplanting, a piece of land is dug out along with the root system.
The fern also reproduces by division. In early spring, it must be removed from the ground. Dense roots are washed with water from the ground, divided into shoots, which are then transplanted to another territory.
That which in daily use is called leaves, in science is called vayy. They are able to grow in length continuously. The fronds take an active part in photosynthesis and plant reproduction.
The bark of the stems serves as a support. Ferns have no cambium, so they are fragile. Compared to angiosperms, they have much weaker conductive tissues.
The structure of the fern is very different, depending on the species. There are low herbaceous plants, and there are also large ferns that resemble trees. Some ferns reach a height of 20 m. Moreover, the tree trunk forms branched and rather strong adventitious roots.
Large ferns that resemble trees.
General concepts
Sporangia are multicellular (in higher plants) and unicellular (in algae) organs in which spores are formed. Have you ever seen mold on bread? In it, you can distinguish tiny black dots, which are also sporangia. One such sporangium can contain up to 50 thousand spores, each of which reproduces up to hundreds of millions of new spores in a few days! This is why mold grows incredibly quickly.
Spores in sporangia are like small pellets covered with a shell. Horsetail, lymphoid, fern sporangia develop on sporophylls and can be collected in sori (groups) or be solitary.
Cyrtomium
Of the ten representatives of this genus, only one is grown at home - the crescent cytomium (Latin Cyrtomium falcatum), which is a perennial of tropical and subtropical origin. Nevertheless, this plant is cold-resistant relative to other ferns.
Cyrthomium has leathery pinnately dissected fronts 35-50 cm long with saber-shaped, slightly curved segments. In decorative floriculture, the Rochfordianum variety is popular, in which the edges of the leaves are serrated.
