what are ferns
A fern is a member of a group of approximately 12,000 species of vascular plants that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers.They differ from mosses by being vascular (i.e. having water-conducting vessels). They have stems and leaves, like other vascular plants.he gametophytes of ferns, however, are very different from those of seed plants. Instead, they resemble liverworts. A fern gametophyte typically consists of: 1  Prothallus: A green, photosynthetic structure that is one cell thick, usually heart or kidney shaped, 3â10 mm long and 2â8 mm broad.