Tree ferns are arborescent, tree-like ferns that grow with a trunk elevating their fronds above ground level. Many living tree ferns belong to the order Cyatheales, which includes the families Cyatheaceae, Dicksoniaceae, Metaxyaceae and Cibotiaceae and is estimated to have originated in the early Jurassic. Cyatheales is the third lineage of ferns known to have given rise to tree-like forms, alongside the extinct Tempskya and the order Osmundales.
Facts
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceFronds usually very large and multiple-pinnate; the trunk is a vertical modified rhizome, and woody tissue is absent. 1 Scientific Name Sources
1. Tree fern - Wikipedia
Lead section
Many living tree ferns belong to the order Cyatheales, which includes the families Cyatheaceae, Dicksoniaceae, Metaxyaceae and Cibotiaceae and is estimated to have originated in the early Jurassic.
Description
The fronds of tree ferns are usually very large and multiple-pinnate. Their trunk is actually a vertical and modified rhizome, and woody tissue is absent.
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