this is the back of a holly fern leaf,i think they are an invasive species
Great photos. i don't know what they are but I get the creepy crawlies when I look at them especially the last one on dl,
tinusbum wrote:
this is the back of a holly fern leaf,i think they are an invasive species
These are likely the reproductive organs of the plant.
Ferns, unlike most green plants today, reproduce by spores, similar to mushroom reproduction.
A fern forms structures on the underside of terminal leaves. The spores form here, to be wind dispersed.
This looks like they are maturing before dispersal. They may be attractive to animals as food, and be eaten to be voided in a new location.
Bill
👍 Very nice documentation. The structures indeed are used to produce spores. These settle and grow as a little plant called a gametophyte. The gametophyte then reproduces to produce a sporophyte, and in this case a sporophyte is a fern plant.
Plants have weird life cycles. Weird to us, anyway.
Mark Sturtevant wrote:
👍 Very nice documentation. The structures indeed are used to produce spores. These settle and grow as a little plant called a gametophyte. The gametophyte then reproduces to produce a sporophyte, and in this case a sporophyte is a fern plant.
Plants have weird life cycles. Weird to us, anyway.
Ferns are indeed complicated.
The vocabulary needed to discuss their anatomy and life functions is almost bizarre.
Cultivars are bred and raised in sterile conditions similar to mushrooms, which I have raised and managed to get re- introduced into 'the wild', to collect later.
Good practice in sterile lab technique.
These do look alien in download. Nicely shot.
Have to start paying more attention to woodland plants this season.
Bill
It is nice when members add interest to someone else's post by sharing their knowledge, experience or expertise, it makes us more of a community. I liked these well shot pics and it was good to have something different.
Amazing images of something that I have never seen before nor knew anything about. Thanks for the images and to all for the education.
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