LONG BEECH FERN

• Thelypteris phegopteris

Untitled Slide

• Domain Thelypteris Phegopteris
• Kingdom Plantae
• Class Filicopsida
• Order Polypoddiales
• Family Thelypteridaceae

LONG BEECH FERN

• Genus Phegopteris
• Species Phegopteris connectilis

The long beech fern can be found in most wet habitat
It looks like a normal fern put longer

Life cycle
The sporangia is the cluster which produces spores. The long beech fern's sporangia are usually aggregated into particular bigger structures. Most ferns like the long beech fern under go meiosis

The spore is the product of meiosis, the spores are released into the wind if the spores happen to land somewhere suitable they will grow into what is called a gametophyte. The gametophyte is its own plant. The gametophyte is the size of your fingernail, just a small green plate. What that does is it will produce the egg and sperm cells. The Antheridium is the male sex organ these are small spherical structures that produce flagellate sperm

The archegonium is the female sex organ these are flask-shaped structures that produce an egg which is reached by the sperm by swimming down the neck
The sperm need to swim though water in order to get the eggs

The eggs are maintained in the gametophyte and that dependence on water this is why ferns mostly live in wet habitat. If the manage to get an egg, fertilization occurs when the sperm and egg come together. That doubles the number of chromosomes and that gives to a whole new typical fern plant again and the cycle repeats

The young plant develops from the prothallus.
The mature fern plant consists of 3 major parts-the rhizome, the fonds and the sporangia. The mature
fern plant is the sporangia.
The mature fern is the sporophyte that produces spores that are released from sporangia

Nutrition
Long beech ferns don't really eat anything, however they make their own food. How ferns like the long beech fern get raw materials through photosynthesis. Ferns spread nutrients through the veins in their leafs.

How does the long beech fern interact with it's environment. The fern serves to filter shape density, species composition, size structure, and spatial distribution of seedlings. Useful in removing heavy metals(like arsenic) from the soil. Has a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into compounds useful for rice plants. Provide habitat for other species, they also stabilize soil. The long beech fern also ecological indicators that tell us about the environment they're in

The long beech fern fulfills its niche by getting rid of toxins in the air. Humans use ferns like the long beech fern plant and put them in their yard to look nice

Neat facts
1. Ferns are the oldest living plant
2. There are now 10,000 species of ferns in wet damp shady places around the world
3. Coal is made from dead ferns and other plants