Fern stems reveal secrets of evolution – how constraints in development can lead to new forms
- Written by Jacob S. Suissa, Assistant Professor of Plant Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee
The lacy frond of the intermediate wood fern (_Dryopteris intermedia_).Jacob S. Suissa, CC BY-NDThere are few forms of the botanical world as readily identifiable as fern leaves. These often large, lacy fronds lend themselves nicely to watercolor paintings and tricep tattoos alike. Thoreau said it best: “Nature made ferns for pure leaves, to...
