The asexual form, or sporophyte, is represented by the fern plant as it is commonly known. Sporophyte ferns have two methods of asexual reproduction. One is by vegetative cloning, branching off of the rootlike underground stem, or rhizome, often forming large, genetically uniform colonies. The second form of asexual reproduction occurs by spores. Sori appear as brown spots and may or may not be present on all leaves.
Some species have sori on all the leaves, while others have specialized leaves that bear the sori.
When the sporangia dry out, they break open, releasing the spores into the wind. Germination begins when a spore falls in a place with proper conditions of heat and moisture. The Filicophyta division is diverse, containing about 150 genera and as many as 15,000 species. The number and diversity of ferns diminishes with increasing latitude and decreasing moisture, though a few species are found in dry, cold regions. Specimens were illuminated through Nikon dichromatic filter blocks containing interference filters and a dichroic mirror and imaged with standard epi-fluorescence techniques.