Parts of a fern leaf. The midrib is the main axis of the blade, and the tip of the frond is its apex. The blade may be variously divided, into segments called pinnae; single leaflets are pinna. Pinna may be further divided, the smallest segments are pinnules.

Ferns come in a variety of shapes and sizes and this interactive explores the diversity of form in New Zealand ferns. The fern body consists of 3 major parts – the rhizome, the fronds and the sporangia. Click on the labels for more information. Find out more about the sporangia in this related interactive.

For more in-depth coverage of fern structure, visit the Fern structure and Underlay of a fern interactives. Dr Patrick Brownsey from Te Papa shows us the 3 major parts of a fern: the rhizome (the underground stem), the leafy frond and the sporangia (the reproductive structure).

A typical fern structure is illustrated to aid in the understanding of morphology and fern leaf architecture description (Fig. 1). Measurements were determined using a ruler, protractor and ...

Cluster of small spore-producing structures covering the underside of a pinna. Main part of the frond, rich in chlorophyll. Roots that grow out of the rhizome, enabling the fern to anchor itself to the soil and absorb water and mineral salts from it.

The parts of the fern are a required vocabulary for making effective use of this site. Axes At left are two fronds, one 3 times divided, the other simple. This site assumes knowledge of most of the terms illustrated; learning them all is encouraged.

Parts of a Fern From: Ferns of the Coastal Plain: Their Lore, Legends and Uses, by Lin Dunbar.

Learn at your own pace with bite-sized, verified content. Spore bearing structures on the underside of the fern leaf/ frond, which may be in many different arrangements, sometimes covering an entire frond as in Sensitive Fern. A division of the pinna. Pinnules can be divided into lobes. A primary division of the blade.

The correct botanical names of the parts of ferns. The arrangement of rhizomes and sori in different species of ferns.

The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers.