Leaf Size varies considerably. They
may be measured in millimeters to meters.
The Leaves of Azolla are measured in millimeters!!!!
Leaf Texture
ranges from thin and delicate (Filmy Ferns) to leathery and sturdy
(Stag-horn & Christmas Ferns)
The Venation
(Vein Pattern) of Fern leaves ranges from Open Dichotomous
(Ancestral) to Reticulate (Advanced).
Fern Leaf with Reticulate Venation
Part of a Filmy Fern Leaf showing Open Dichotomous Venation
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Leaves from Tree Ferns can be several meters in length
A small epiphyte from Puerto Rico. The mature leaf is only a few cm.
in length. Note the ever-present Circinate Vernation.
How would you describe the organizational pattern for this leaf?
Look at the small Mature Leaf in the Foreground. This leaf is
Leathery!
Stag-horn Fern: Note the Glossiness of its surface. Epiphytes often have adaptations
associated with plants growing in dry environments.
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