fern (fûrn)n. Any of numerous flowerless, seedless vascular plants having roots, stems, and fronds and reproducing by spores.
[Middle English, from Old English fearn; see per-2 in Indo-European roots.]
fern y adj. |
fern Noun a flowerless plant with roots, stems, and long feathery leaves that reproduces by releasing spores [Old English fearn] ferny adj
fern (fûrn) Any of numerous seedless vascular plants belonging to the phylum Pterophyta that reproduce by means of spores and usually have feathery fronds divided into many leaflets. Most species of ferns are homosporous (producing only one kind of spore). The haploid spore grows into a small, usually flat gametophyte known as a prothallus, which is undifferentiated into roots, stems, and leaves. The green prothallus anchors itself with hairlike extensions known as rhizoids and bears both archegonia (organs producing female gametes) and antheridia (organs producing male gametes). The male gametes require the presence of water to swim to the female gametes and fertilize the eggs. Normally only one embryo is produced, and it then grows out of the gametophyte plant as a diploid sporophyte plant that has roots, stems, and leaves and conducts photosynthesis, while the smaller gametophyte withers away. The leaves of these sporophytes eventually produce sporangia (in some species occurring in clusters known as sori). Under dry conditions, the sori burst releasing hundreds of thousands or millions of spores. Ferns were abundant in the Carboniferous period and exist today in about 11,000 species, about three-quarters of which live in tropical climates. |
Fern a huge quantity or number, 1300.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | fern - any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by sporespecopteris - Carboniferous fossil fern characterized by a regular arrangement of the leaflets resembling a comb fern seed - the asexual spore of ferns that resembles dust; once thought to be seeds and to make the possessor invisible film fern, filmy fern - any fern of the genus Hymenophyllum growing in tropical humid regions and having translucent leaves bristle fern, filmy fern - any fern of the genus Trichomanes having large pinnatifid often translucent fronds; most are epiphytic on tree branches and twigs or terrestrial on mossy banks osmund, flowering fern - any fern of the genus Osmunda: large ferns with creeping rhizomes; naked sporangia are on modified fronds that resemble flower clusters climbing fern - any of several ferns of the genus Lygodium that climb by twining grape fern - a fern of the genus Botrychium having a fertile frond bearing small grapelike clusters of spore cases polypody - any of numerous ferns of the genus Polypodium strap fern - fern with long narrow strap-shaped leaves lecanopteris - any of several bizarre ferns of the genus Lecanopteris having swollen hollow rhizomes that provide homes for symbiotic ants staghorn fern - any of various tropical ferns of the genus Platycerium having large flat lobed fronds often resembling the antlers of a stag |
Translations fernn fern [fəːn]a kind of plant with no flowers and delicate feather-like leaves. varing سَرْخَس، خِنْشار папрат kapradina bregne der Farn φτέρη helecho sõnajalg سرخس saniainen fougère שָׂרָך फर्न, सुंदर बारीक पत्तियों वाला एक पौधा paprat páfrány pakis burkni felce しだ類 양치 식물 papartis paparde paku-pakis varen bregne paproć feto ferigă папоротник papraď praprot paprat ormbunke ต้นเฟิร์น eğrelti (otu) 蕨類植物 папороть بے پھول کا پودا جس کے روئیں دار پتے ہوتے ہیں cây dương xỉ 蕨类植物
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