Male fern (shield fern). The fern-like department, structure and reproduction using the example of the male shield plant. The main representatives of the department, their role in nature and human life. Features of the structure of ferns

Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas).

Other names: male shieldweed, magpietooth.

Description. Perennial herbaceous plant of the Shield family (Dryopteridaceae). It has a thick horizontal or oblique rhizome, which is covered with brown or blackish, soft, wide scales and remains of leaf petioles. At the top of the rhizome there is a rosette of large leaves.
The leaves (fronds) are numerous, 50-100 cm long, collected in a funnel-shaped bunch at the rhizome. They go through a three-year development cycle: 1 year - one-year rudiments; 2 year - two-year-old snails; 3 year fully developed erect mature fronds.
When young, the leaves are snail-shaped and densely covered with scales. This position of young leaves and scales protects the delicate tissues of the growing upper part of the leaf from drying out and mechanical damage. Thus, a bunch of young leaves spends two years in a snail-shaped form, and only in the third year, in spring, the leaves unfold into a rosette and reach full development.
The leaf petiole is short, with two longitudinal ribs, densely planted with lanceolate, jagged light brown, shiny scales along the edges and smaller narrow lanceolate hairs, extending onto the leaf shaft. The leaf blade is pinnately complex, elongated-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate. It is slightly narrowed towards the base and pointed at the top.
The male fern is a plant that reproduces not by seeds, but by spores. On the reverse side of the leaf, on the segments of the leaf blade, in the places where the feeding veins branch, sori (a group of arranged spores or asexual reproductive organs) are located in two rows, covered on top with kidney-shaped veils. The spores are kidney-shaped and visible only under a microscope. Spores begin to ripen in mid-July.
Fully formed leaves live only one season, performing not only a vegetative function, but also a reproductive function. In autumn, the leaves, having dispersed the spores, wither. Male shieldweed grows throughout most of Europe and Central Asia. It grows in deciduous and mixed forests, among shrubs, and in shady, damp places. Male fern prefers shady areas with moist, slightly acidic soil rich in humus. The plant is poisonous!

Collection and preparation of raw materials. The rhizomes of male fern are harvested for medicinal purposes. Harvesting is carried out in the fall, after the plant has withered, or in early spring. The dug up rhizomes are cleaned of soil, small horses, scales and dead tissue. Healthy rhizome tissues are greenish in color. The rhizomes are not washed; they are cut lengthwise and crosswise into several pieces. Dry in a room with normal ventilation, spreading it in a thin layer on paper or fabric. Can be dried in dryers at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees. The shelf life of dried raw materials is no more than 1 year.

Dosage forms and doses.
A decoction of male fern rhizomes. 10 grams of dry crushed rhizomes per glass of water, cook over low heat until the liquid is halved, remove from heat, and filter after cooling.

www.spravlektrav.ru

Male fern

Millions of years ago, ferns on our planet were giant plants that made up entire forests. Today there are a large number of their subspecies; they are significantly smaller in size than their ancestors. The most common among them is the male shield.

Appearance of fern

This is a perennial plant with a thick and short rhizome, the surface of which is covered with last year's remains of leaf petioles and wide black scales. The stem is very poorly developed, it is practically absent, and large dark green leaves, sometimes reaching 1 meter in length, grow in a bunch directly from the rhizome. Wide openwork sheets are very decorative and amazingly beautiful when they sag under their own weight, bending towards the ground. They grow quite slowly, remain soft and tender for a long time, so they are very easy to damage. On the underside there are 5–8 sori, hidden by kidney-shaped veils. The double-pinnate, pointed leaf blade has an elongated elliptical shape.

The life cycle of the male shield plant involves the development of leaves over several years. The leaf primordia, which appear at the growing point at the base of the rhizome, overwinter, after which they acquire a snail-like shape.

In this form they spend another year, during which their delicate tissues are very well protected from any external damage and from drying out. And only in the third year the leaves unfold and reach full development. They live only one season. Having fulfilled their vegetative function, the leaves fade by autumn.

Distribution of male shieldweed

This type of fern has colonized quite large areas and is found almost everywhere - from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, in North America and even in the Arctic. It is also widespread in Russia. Male shieldweed prefers coniferous and mixed forests, where there is high humidity and poor penetration of sunlight.

Most fern thickets were found in places with a predominance of trees such as aspen, linden, birch, as well as in spruce-fir forests. You can rarely find this plant in pine forests, because moisture is retained there very poorly. In mountainous areas, shieldweed grows on wind-protected slopes and in rock crevices.

Structural features

Like any other fern, the male shield is a perennial plant. The underdeveloped stem is located horizontally and is represented by a rhizome. Leaves, called fronds and characterized by long apical growth, in addition to photosynthesis, also perform the function of sporulation.

Sporangia located on a fern leaf can be single or group. A small green plate, called a prothallus, has rhizoids with which it attaches to the substrate, absorbing water and minerals. Its cells contain chlorophyll, which is necessary for photosynthesis. The reproductive organs are also located on the prothallus - the female with one egg (archegonium) and the male with many sperm (antheridium).

Developmental cycle of male shieldweed

This type of fern is an example of a plant that has a sporophyte and a gametophyte in the form of independently existing organisms that are combined only for a short time during a certain period of the plant's life.

First, sori are formed on the leaf blades, through a cross section of which one can see many sporangia covered with an umbrella-shaped blanket called indusium. The sporangium wall, consisting of thin-walled cells, consists of a single layer, and only on its crest there is a thickened shell called a ring. In its lower part there is a section not covered by the ring - this is the so-called mouth, in which the rupture occurs when the haploid spores mature. A lot of tension is created, the ring unbends and abruptly returns to its original position. At the same time, it works like a catapult and throws out spores. The male shield plant is capable of spreading them over a distance of up to 5 meters.

Under certain conditions, the spores germinate and turn into a shoot. Moisture accumulating from the soil facilitates the penetration of sperm into the egg, as a result of which fertilization occurs. This is how a new young plant appears, which at first attaches itself to the shoot and feeds on it. Only after it dies off does the plant begin to exist independently. Thus, the life cycle of the male shield fern includes an alternation of asexual and sexual generations.

Conditions for reproduction

The spores, through which reproduction occurs, usually ripen by the end of July. It is recommended to transplant ferns in the spring before leaves appear on the trees or at the end of summer. Under favorable conditions, self-seeding may occur. The level of humidity and the quality of the soil are very important for the development of a plant such as male shield, the reproduction of which largely depends on these factors.

This process occurs more actively in a slightly acidic environment. Conditions in the leaves of old plants, where there is insufficient light and a large number of inhibitors, are considered unfavorable. The best development of embryos occurs in rotten stumps or tree trunks.

Usage

Descriptions of recipes for preparing infusions and decoctions from the rhizome of this plant are also recommended for people suffering from varicose veins, leg muscle cramps and rheumatism.

In the wild, a large number of animals use shieldweed as food. Moose especially love to eat its leaves.

Male shieldweed is also highly valued in landscape design. The structure of its beautiful leaves, similar to openwork plates, allows it to be used in urban landscaping, in parks, decorating fences and houses with it. Gardeners know more than thirty cultural forms of this plant.

Population conservation

Although this type of fern is quite widespread, its population is gradually declining. There are several reasons for this. One of them is massive deforestation. Male shieldweed is one of those vulnerable plants that have very sensitive roots and therefore are difficult to tolerate any human intervention in their environment.

In addition, this plant is a subject of constant collection. It is harvested as a medicinal raw material, and some tanners use shieldweed for tanning and dyeing leather.

Male fern, useful and dangerous

Hello dear reader!

Actually, the correct name of the fern is male shield fern. And they belong to the family Aspleniaceae, the order Cyathaeaceae, the class of polypodiopsids from the fern division. Phew!
At the same time, this fern is still better known as the male fern.

The history of the name is briefly as follows. There are two widespread, similar in appearance, close (but not related!) ferns. Even the Romans called one of them, with more refined outlines, female fern - filix-femina. The second, respectively, is a male fern – filix-mas.

These names have been preserved. Although it makes no sense to talk about a “male” or “female” plant in relation to ferns. After all, they reproduce by spores. Therefore, what kind of “monoecy” or “dioecy” can we talk about?

The historical names of ferns are reflected in their species names - both Russian and Latin. The male shieldweed in Latin is called Dryopteris filix-mas, and the female shieldweed is called Athyrium filix-femina.

Male shield fern

This is one of the most widespread forest ferns. He mastered a significant part of the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. It lives in Eurasia and North America, as well as on large islands. The male shield fern grows in the mountains and even in the tundra. But still, the main part of the range is coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests.

In the soil, the male fern has a powerful rhizome that rises obliquely to the surface. It is covered with scales and “stumps” from dead leaf petioles.

At the top of the rhizome grows a bunch of huge fern leaves - complex, twice pinnately dissected. These leaves, often called fronds, resemble in many ways an entire branch of other plants. There is a central rod. Lateral “branches” extend from it, on which small segments of the leaf blade sit.

The result is a very beautiful openwork sheet of enormous size - up to a meter or more. The shape of the leaf resembles an ancient Russian shield - hence the shield plant.

But this leaf of the male shield grows very slowly. In the first year it is just a leaf bud at the top of the rhizome. After a year, it takes the shape of a snail: twisted into a spiral and covered with brown scales. And only in the third year the leaf unfolds in all its glory.

The male shield fern is precisely the fern whose mythical flower has been unsuccessfully sought (perhaps still being sought!) for many centuries. It is known that whoever finds this flower on the night of Ivan Kupala (July 7th New Year) will discover all the secrets, all the treasures hidden in the depths of the earth, the language of plants and animals.

Alas, the search was unsuccessful. Neither the male shield fern nor any of the other ferns bloom. These are spore plants.

Let's look at the back of the sheet.

The points on the segment of the leaf blade, light at the beginning of summer, darkening later, are sori in which spores ripen. By their location near the vein, usually in two rows, the male shield fern can be fairly reliably distinguished from similar species.

Ripe spores are carried by the wind. Once in favorable conditions, the spore germinates.

Life cycle of male shieldweed

I so often get visitors with the request “life cycle... (cuckoo flax moss, horsetail, etc.) that I decided, at least briefly, to devote at least a few lines to this. Even if I don’t have an educational site, but a blog - search queries should be listened to.

If you are not interested in this question, it is very easy to move on to the next section by clicking here.

Life cycle of male shieldweed characterizes the following:

• The main stage in the life of a plant is the sporophyte stage. It is this plant that we, in fact, call fern.
  Its cells have a double set of chromosomes (2n).

• On the gametophyte, the egg and sperm mature in special organs. With the participation of water, the fusion of these germ cells occurs (sexual reproduction).
• The fertilized egg (zygote) gives rise to a new sporophyte.

Male fern in medicine

Pharmacological preparations based on fern are, first of all, thick male fern extract(capsules) and Filixan(pills).

There are other complex anthelmintic drugs that act not only on tapeworms: anthelmintic , helminton , Digestodoron. They include male fern as one of the components.

Self-treatment with male fern rhizome is even more dangerous. After all, he is poisonous!

Yes, its poisons have a stronger effect on cold-blooded animals than on warm-blooded ones. But they can also be dangerous to humans. The central nervous system, heart muscle, and gastrointestinal tract are affected by poisons.

Signs of poisoning are: dizziness, muscle weakness, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. In the most severe cases, convulsions, blurred vision, loss of consciousness and even death from cardiac and respiratory arrest are possible.

Contraindications for the use of male fern:

• heart failure
• liver and kidney diseases
• stomach and duodenal ulcer
• tuberculosis
• pregnancy
• age up to two years.

Traditional medicine also uses male fern externally - for healing wounds and ulcers, for various skin diseases, and for joint diseases.

Preparation of male fern

Fern rhizomes are dug up in spring or autumn. In this case, you should avoid accidental contact with rhizomes of other ferns - female nocturnal fern, ostrich fern, bracken.

The rhizomes are not washed. The soil is shaken off, the scales and roots are removed, and the dead, browned areas are cut off from the petioles. Healthy tissue has a greenish color.

After this, the rhizome is cut into slices and dried somewhere in a well-ventilated area or in the attic. When using dryers, the temperature should not exceed 40 degrees. Harvested raw materials are stored for no more than two years.

And let me remind you again about the dangers of self-medication with male fern!

Decorative and other uses of male fern

The male shield fern is very decorative and is often used in gardening. This spectacular perennial with feathery lacy leaves can decorate any garden. Moreover, there are more than three dozen varieties of this plant, sometimes significantly different in appearance - in the shape and size of the leaves.

The rhizome of fern and preparations from it are used in veterinary medicine for helminthiasis in domestic animals.

Livestock do not eat shield leaves. Moreover, for most pets that are not very picky eaters (for example, rabbits) they are poisonous.

But many wild animals eat them without much harm. And some even enjoy it! We noticed, for example, that elk quite often graze in thickets of male fern. But maybe he is being treated with it?

Well, I hope the article was interesting and useful? If so, I invite you to write a review. If you want to receive announcements of new articles in your email, subscribe to the blog news.

Click on the picture to subscribe to the news!

By clicking on the picture, you consent to the newsletter, the processing of personal data and agree to the privacy policy

Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas L.)



Syn: scutellum, male scutum, medicinal scutum, devil's beard.

Male fern is a perennial spore plant with a thick rhizome used for medicinal purposes. Preparations based on it are an effective remedy for worms.

In medicine

In gardening

Male shieldweed is often used in landscaping parks and garden plots. Gardeners have developed more than a hundred varieties, some of which even botanists have difficulty recognizing as the original fern. What unites them all is thick, bright, decorative foliage.

Classification

Male fern or male shield fern belongs to the Aspleniaceae or Kostentsov family (lat. Aspleniales), subfamily of shield ferns (lat. Dryopteridaceae), genus Shield fern (lat. Dryopteris). There are about 150 other different perennial ferns in this genus.

Botanical description

Spreading

This plant chooses moist soils of coniferous, broad-leaved and mixed forests, but is also found on mountain slopes, for example, alpine or well-warmed by the sun, protected from the wind, arctic. It can be observed in forest clearings, along railways, and at the site of forest fires. The male fern grows in all countries of the temperate climate zone. It can be seen both in Mexico and Greenland. In Russia, the largest habitats of the male shieldweed are in the Krasnodar Territory and in the south of Western Siberia.

Procurement of raw materials

The rhizomes of male shieldweed are dug up in early spring, before the development of the aerial parts, or in early autumn. They are cleaned of soil, thin roots, dead parts, leaves, the lower, rotten part is removed, guided by the “constriction” line, and cut into pieces. The chopped raw materials can be immediately processed fresh, from which male fern extract is prepared, or it can be dried either in special dryers or in well-ventilated areas, at a temperature not exceeding 40°C. The roots have a sweet, astringent taste that soon becomes unpleasant. The smell is light, unobtrusive. The finished raw material can be stored for up to a year, but over time its antihelminthic properties weaken.

Chemical composition

Pharmacological properties

The beneficial properties of male fern, as well as its toxicity, are associated with the presence of phloroglucinol derivatives and their breakdown products in the rhizome. These substances are a powerful poison that paralyzes the muscle tissue of worms. A few days before taking the medications, the patient should be switched to a low-fat diet. Before giving the medicine, cleanse the body with an enema and laxative. Preparations based on shield fern are taken on an empty stomach, and after taking them, drink a laxative again. Since the poisons in ferns paralyze not only worms, but can also have a toxic effect on the human central nervous system and disrupt the functioning of the heart, in most countries of the world such treatment is considered outdated; there are new, safer methods of combating helminthic infestations.

Having found safer remedies for worms, scientists continue to study the beneficial properties of shieldweed. It was found that male fern phloroglucides are able to inhibit the process of induction of malignant cells, flavonoids have immunostimulating and antiviral properties. Experiments with drugs based on shieldweed continue and, perhaps, the plant will soon become the basis for new drugs with new properties other than anthelmintics.

Use in folk medicine

Historical reference

The beneficial properties of fern were discovered back in ancient times. Dioscorides wrote about them, and Pliny the Elder, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), and Theophrastus mentioned them in their works. The shield fern received the specific epithet “male” from the ancient Romans. They believed that the fern also had “female” plants, but in fact, the more delicate, with small feathery leaves, the female fern or nomadic fern (Athyrium filix-femina) is a representative of another genus of the subfamily Shchitovnikov. It is interesting to note that the rhizomes of the female fern contain all the same substances that are responsible for the toxicity of the male fern, but in a smaller, sort of “female” concentration.

In the Middle Ages, knowledge about shieldweed as an anthelmintic agent was not so much lost as it was questioned. The fact is that dried fern rhizomes lose their toxic properties over time and, if you don’t know this, it may seem that the medicine is not effective. On the other hand, ignorance of the correct doses often led to poisoning. Preparations from male fern have practically ceased to be used. It got to the point that the French king, Louis XVI, paid an incredible sum at that time of 18 thousand livres to the widow of the Swiss doctor Kuffes for the secret of his family remedy for worms. Imagine the surprise of the royal physicians when they learned that such an effective remedy contained shieldweed, which they had long recognized as useless.

The famous Slavic belief about the “fiery flower” that illuminates treasures on the night of Ivan Kupala, which is reflected in many literary works, both folklore and original, is associated specifically with the shield plant. Myths and legends endowed the flower, which appears only for a moment, with amazing power. He had to not only show where the wealth was hidden, but also open all the locks on the way to it, make its owner a master of spirits, teach him to understand the language of animals and birds. Different beliefs list the different opportunities granted by the shield flower, but all seekers of good luck are warned - the plant is guarded by evil spirits, ready not only to take the lives of brave men, but also to doom their souls to eternal torment. Modern scientists, of course, know that the fern does not bloom, but knowledge does not prevent the existence of a wonderful legend.

Literature

1. “Medicinal raw materials of plant and animal origin. Pharmacognosy” edited by Yakovlev G.P., St. Petersburg, SpetsLit 2006 – 381-383 p.

2. Zemlinsky S.E. “Medicinal plants of the USSR”, Moscow, Moscow Society of Natural Scientists, 1951 – 204-205 p.

3. Mishenin I.D. “Medicinal plants and their use”, sixth edition, Minsk, Science and Technology, 1975, 61-62 p.

4. “Wild plants and mushrooms in medicine and cooking”, edited by Nechaev E.A., Moscow, Military Publishing House, 1994 – 241 p.

Lush, handsome fern Male shield fern: photos, types, care at home



Shield fern is a large fern that grows in shady, cool forests such as oak groves.

This is evidenced by their official name - Dryopteris, literally - fern from oak forests.

The genus consists of perennial plants with strong rhizomes and wide, carved leaves of complex shape.

The Shchitovnik fern belongs to the Shchitovnikaceae family along with the Polygonum and Kochedyzhnik. However, it stands out from their background with an amazing variety of species.

Austrian

In nature, it lives in Western Europe, the Caucasus and North America. Prefers areas with constantly moist loams.

It has long (5-9 dm), triple-pinnate, triangular-shaped leaves. The color is light green. The fronds cover the ground with a wide carpet, hence the second name - prostrate.

Photo of the subspecies Austrian shieldweed:



Grows on rocky soils of mountain forests. It can be found in China, Russia, and Japan. Very resistant to frost. The rhizome is elongated and thin. Triple pinnate fronds grow one at a time and die off when it gets cold. Their color is bluish-green and their shape is triangular.

Photo of the Amur shield subspecies:



Competitive

It grows in Madeira, the Azores and Western Europe. The leaves are relatively small, growing 60 cm in length. Shaped like feathers stand out with a bright green color. The tip is pointed, the entire surface is dotted with tiny spores. This species has a strong smell of freshly cut grass.

Photo of the subspecies Shieldweed Competing:



It lives on the islands of Iturup, Sakhalin, Kunashir, Hokkaido, Shikoku, the Korean Peninsula and Northeast China.

The fronds are collected into a lush large rosette in the shape of a regular bowl. Leaves may grow back per meter in height, They do not dry out during the winter and die off in the spring after the young blades appear. The shape is elongated oval, the tip is pointed. The surface of the foliage is leathery, jade in color.

Photo of the subspecies Bush Shield:



A native of Western Europe, where grows on alkaline soil. Most common in the calcareous lands of England, Wales and Lancashire.

A neat compact bush suitable for rocky gardens and alpine hills. The fronds are triangular, small in size (3.5-4.5 dm), with pointed ends. The color is nondescript green with a gray tint. The spores are very small and have a specific pleasant odor.

Photo of the subspecies Vilaria:



Lives in nature in cold and damp forests North America, mainly in its northeastern part. Has excellent winter hardiness.

The leaves can grow up to 130 cm in length and form a large, erect rosette. The shape is a wide oval, the color is malachite. The fronds are double pinnate, the rhizomes are short.

Photo of the subspecies Gold's shield:



Comb

A fairly common species, found in Europe and North America, as well as throughout Russia. Prefers wetlands with constantly high soil moisture.

Low perennial, reaching no more than 50 cm in height. The rhizome is plump, short, covered with scales. The leaves are on erect petioles and have a lanceolate shape, elongated in length. They are double pinnate, malachite in color. The spores are round, black, and are located on the back of the leaves in rows.

Photo of the subspecies Crested shield:



It lives in the Far East and Western Siberia of Russia, North America, Korea and China. In nature you can find on rocky soils and screes.

One of the most miniature species, does not exceed 30 cm in length. The rhizome is beveled, shortened. The leaves are doubly pinnate and oblong. The color is jade with a blue tint. The spores are located along the entire back surface of the plates. It has a characteristic pleasant smell.

Photo of the subspecies Odoriferous shield plant:



Red Sorus

Grows in Japan, China and the Philippines. Heat-loving evergreen species. The fronds have the shape of a wide triangle and are distinguished by their original colors. Young leaves are colored in peach tones, which gradually change to grassy green shades. The spores are reddish.

Photo of the subspecies Red-tailed shield:



Needle

The most common type in the forest area. Lives in Europe, North America.

The leaves are collected in dense bunches and reach 4-6 inches in length. The petioles, leaf shaft and rhizome are covered with brown scales. The fronds are triangular in shape and colored bright green. The sori are very small, kidney-shaped.

Photo of the subspecies Needle shield:



Most frost resistant The species is native to North America. Grows in rocky and rocky areas.

The spores are found at the tips of the feathers, hence the name. The rosette reaches a height of 6 dm and consists of double-pinnate leaves of a bluish tint.

Photo of the subspecies Extreme Shield:



Guarded an endangered species, very difficult to find in nature. Prefers fir forests with high humidity. A thick bunch of large leaves grows from a thick, short rhizome. They are bipinnate, pale green, oblong in shape.

Photo of the subspecies Mountain Shield:



A very common species found in North America and Eurasia. It is found both on poor limestone and fertile lands.

The plant is large, up to 150 cm in length. The fronds gather in dense rosettes and overwinter green. They are colored emerald green and have an oblong shape with a sharp tip. Sori are located along the middle veins.

Photo of the subspecies Male shieldweed:



False male

Grows in the Black Sea region, Dagestan and the Caucasus. The plant is tall - up to 1 m. The fronds are twice pinnate, pale green. Requires shelter for the winter.

Photo of the subspecies False male shield:



Subalpine

The leaves are lanceolate, narrowed or oblong, the color is grassy green. The spores are kidney-shaped, some with wings.

Photo of the subspecies Shchitovnik Podalpiyskiy:



Sikhotinsky

Very similar to a man's. Cold-resistant, grows in Japan, Russia and China. It reaches a height of 1.2 m. The fronds are oblong, bipinnate, and die off before frost.

Photo of the subspecies Sikhotinsky shield:



Related

Found in Western Europe, in deciduous forests. The leaves are collected in loose bunches and supported by long scaly petioles. They are bipinnate, lanceolate.

Photo of the subspecies Shieldweed Related:



It grows quickly, forming impenetrable thickets. Lives in the Ussuri region, resistant to frost. The rhizomes branch well and grow 9-13 cm over the summer. The bushes reach a meter in height. The fronds are double pinnate, light green, triangular.

Photo of the subspecies Light shield:



Evergreen resident of mixed and coniferous forests of Japan and the Kuril Islands. The height of the plant is average, does not exceed 7 cm. The leaves are oval, triple pinnate, bright green.

Photo of the subspecies Shchitovnik Dumb:



Prostrate

A medium-sized forest fern with lacy leaves, common in the temperate forest zone of the entire Northern Hemisphere.

Photo of the subspecies Prostrate shield plant:



It lives in Europe and North America, settling in forest areas. The leaves are erect, double pinnate, lanceolate. The color is dark green, the surface is shiny, leathery. Withstands frosts up to 30°.

Photo of the subspecies Curly Shield:



Golden

Resident of the eastern regions of North America. Can grow 1 m in height. The fronds are triangular. It is considered very decorative look thanks to the bronze tone of the leaves and the golden fluff on them.

Photo of the Golden Shield subspecies:



Marsh (telipteris)

This type of shield grows in swamps and requires constant humidity and shading. It has a dense rhizome that grows well in different directions, resulting in the formation of extensive clumps. The leaves are single, double pinnate, pale green. The shape is oblong, elongated.

Photo of the subspecies Telipteris Marsh:



Home care

Features of care after purchase

The soil should be loose, breathable, fertile, with a high humus content and good drainage.

Shieldweed loves shaded places, they should be placed away from the window or on the north side.

Temperature

Optimal is 14-19°, if it rises above 25° it will hurt. Being originally a forest plant, Shield is able to withstand temperatures as low as minus 25°, which makes it a suitable candidate for growing outdoors. It will overwinter without any problems, even if you forget to cover it.

Constant soil moisture should be maintained without stagnation of water in the pan. Water with softened water every 2-3 days.

Air humidity

High! Frequent spraying required ground parts.

The shield plant grows slowly, does not need frequent feeding. Once every 1-1.5 months you can add a complex of minerals for ferns.

Young specimens replanted every spring in a larger pot with a complete replacement of the soil, older ones - less often, once every 2-3 years.

Old, yellowed or overgrown fronds are trimmed to preserve the decorative appearance of the shield plant.

Reproduction

Possible in several ways:

Shield spores develop on the back surface of the leaves. After ripening, you need to cut them and dry them, laying them out on paper. Fill the boxes with a mixture of peat, sand and leaf soil in a ratio of 2:1:1.

Spread the spores in an even layer over the surface of the substrate and moisten with a spray bottle. Do not fill it with soil! Cover the container with polyethylene film or thin glass and keep warm and humid. Germination begins after 5-6 weeks. After which the greenhouse is removed.

Dividing the bush

The method is faster and less labor-intensive. During transplantation, separate part of the rhizome with leaves and plant in a separate pot.

Many species grow daughter tubers or tendrils, which can be separated from the plant and buried separately to a depth of 7 to 13 cm in the ground. Water thoroughly and keep in constant moisture.

Shield insects can throw out daughter shoots (brood buds). They appear on the leaves and begin to grow. Subsequently, they can be separated from the fronds, placed in moistened peat or moss and covered with half a plastic bottle or glass jar. Rooting occurs in a couple of weeks, then the seedling is moved to normal soil.

Diseases and pests

Pests do not like shieldweed, Only scale insects can attack. These are small insects that appear as brown or beige plaques on leaves. If there are few of them, you can collect them by hand; large populations are destroyed with insecticides - Confidor, Actellik, Tanrek, Aktara and others.

Conclusion

Growing shield plants in the house is completely simple and not burdensome. If you pay enough attention to them, lush decorative bushes will decorate the interior for a long time and delight their owners.

6. General characteristics of the Fern-like department. Features of morphology and anatomical structure, reproduction. Life cycle using the example of male shieldweed

The department includes 7 classes: aneurophytopsida (Aneurophytopsida), archaeopteridopsida (Archaeopteridopsida), cladoxylopsida (Cladoxylopsida), zygopteridopsida (Zygopteridopsida), ophioglossopsida (Ophioglossopsida), marattiopsida (Marattiopsida), ferns (Polypodiopsida). The first four classes of ferns are extinct plants.

Origin and distribution of ferns

Ferns, or ferns, arose in the Devonian period, and already in the Carboniferous, their tree-like forms, along with other higher spore plants, made up vast moist forests, the remains of which formed deposits of coal. To date, approximately 12 thousand species of ferns have been preserved, distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics, as well as in temperate regions of the globe, including desert areas. Ferns of the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere grow in damp shady forests, along bushes, forest ravines, damp meadows, some species are found in dry pine forests (for example, common bracken).

Most modern representatives of this department are terrestrial perennial plants, but there are also aquatic forms (for example, the relict species annual salvinia floating. In tropical forests there are tree ferns with a height of 20-25 m and a trunk diameter of up to 0.5 m, as well as many liana-like forms and epiphytes growing on tree trunks and branches.

Morphological and anatomical structure

Among ferns, there are both herbaceous and woody forms of life. The body of the fern consists of leaf blades, a petiole, a modified shoot and roots (vegetative and adventitious). Fern leaves are called fronds. The leaves of ferns (often called fronds) are large with a pinnately dissected leaf blade and a well-developed vascular system. The common leaf petiole is attached to an underground stem, which is a rhizome. The roots of ferns are adventitious, and the leaves, resulting from the flattening of large branches, grow, forming a characteristic unfolding “snail” at their apex. The length of the leaves can vary from 1-2mm to 10m.

In some ferns (for example, ostrich ferns), the leaves are differentiated into sterile (photosynthetic) and fertile (bearing sporangia). However, in most representatives the leaves perform not only the function of photosynthesis, but also sporulation. On their underside in summer, sporangia are formed, located singly or in groups - sori. The sori, which look like brownish tubercles, are covered with a special outgrowth of the leaf - the indusium, or spathe.

The stem can be creeping or vertical, completely or partially underground, sometimes reaches a height of 25 m and is crowned at the top with a rosette-shaped crown. In many species, for example, bracken, above-ground leaves emerge from a highly branched underground stem (rhizome) at certain intervals, forming extensive dense thickets in clearings. Ferns differ from seed plants in the absence of cambium in the stem, i.e. a special layer of constantly dividing cells, so annual rings do not form in them, and the growth in thickness, conductive capacity and strength of trunks even in tree ferns is limited. The main supporting function is performed by thick-walled cells of the cortex and adventitious roots entwining the stem along its entire height.

Reproduction

In the life cycle of a fern, asexual and sexual generations alternate - sporophytigametophyte. The sporophyte phase predominates. Ferns reproduce asexually through spores, vegetatively through rhizomes, and sexually.

Life cycle of male shieldweed characterizes the following:

The main stage in the life of a plant is the sporophyte stage. It is this plant that we, in fact, call fern. Its cells have a double set of chromosomes (2 n).

Spores ripen in the spore-bearing organs on fern leaves (sori). They are carried by the wind and germinate (asexual reproduction).

The second generation of fern, the gametophyte, grows from the spore.

The fern gametophyte, only a few millimeters in size, is heart-shaped. It is extremely difficult to find it in the forest, and you can only see it with a magnifying glass.

On the gametophyte, the egg and sperm mature in special organs. With the participation of water, the fusion of these germ cells occurs (sexual reproduction).

The fertilized egg (zygote) gives rise to a new sporophyte.

Ferns are an ancient group of higher spore plants that have played a critical role in processes on the planet. These are the first true leaf-stemmed organisms. The structure of the fern, features of its life cycle and distribution in nature will be discussed in our article.

Structural features of ferns

As a rule, ferns grow in forests of the temperate climate zone. Their body consists of a modified shoot located underground - the rhizome. Only leaves are visible above the ground. This is the external structure of the fern. The diagram below illustrates the nature of the leaf arrangement. It clearly shows that additional ones are alternately attached to the main axis, and leaf blades are directly attached to them.

The underground structure of the fern is also represented by a system that extends in a bunch from a modified shoot.

But the fossil forms of ferns are not at all similar to their modern relatives. Along with herbs, these were small shrubs and giant trees, reaching a height of several tens of meters.

Life cycle

The external structure of the fern changes periodically. How is this possible? The thing is that during the life of ferns there is a process of alternation of generations: sexual (gametophyte) and asexual (sporophyte). They differ in the method of reproduction, development and a number of significant morphological features.

Sporophyte

The asexual generation of fern is a green leafy plant. We are used to seeing him in the forests. In this form, the fern (the photo below shows the sporophyte) exists for the predominant part of its life cycle. On the underside of the leaves of the plant there are sporangia - organs of asexual reproduction. They are collected in specialized structures - sori. They contain asexual reproduction cells called spores.

Gametophyte

Once in the soil and germinating, the spores give rise to the sexual generation. Such a gametophyte determines completely different features and structure of the fern. It looks like a flat green plate that takes the shape of a heart over time. The gametophyte is attached to the soil using rhizoises. These thread-like formations resemble plant roots in appearance and function, but do not form tissue. The sexual generation of ferns is bisexual. The process of gamete fusion is possible only in the presence of water. As a result, a zygote is formed - a fertilized egg. As it develops, it gives rise to an embryo, and then to an adult plant. At first, the young sporophyte is not capable of photosynthesis, so its nutrition comes from the green plate of the sexual generation. As the ability for photosynthesis develops and emerges, the adult leafy plant begins to function separately.

Diversity of ferns

Currently, taxonomists count about 10 thousand species of representatives of this department. Among aquatic ferns, the most common is salvinia. This plant floats on the surface of the water and looks very much like algae. Together with Marsilia and Azolla, it represents a group of heterosporous ferns. These are typical aquatic plants.

However, in the vast majority of cases, fern (the photo shows a perennial plant) is an inhabitant of forests. And most of them are representatives of the homosporous group. The most common of them are common bracken and male shield fern. It is about these types of ferns that there is still a beautiful ancient legend. If you find this flowering plant in the forest overnight, you can acquire amazing abilities. For example, understand the language of any living creature. This wonderful legend arose because no one had ever seen. Our ancestors did not know that this was simply impossible, since spore-bearing plants do not form flowers and fruits.

Several species of tree ferns are found in tropical forests. Like all higher spore plants, they prefer moisture, so they grow along streams and rivers. Very often in these places thickets of tropical ferns form a real jungle.

The meaning of ferns

It is the external structure of the fern and its features that have currently made this plant one of the most popular ornamental crops. It is widely used for landscaping various landscapes and areas. And lovers of indoor plants have long been looking at various types of ferns for landscaping houses, apartments and various rooms.

In nature, these plants are an integral part of many ecosystems, significantly increasing their biomass.

However, the greatest importance of ferns lies in the formation of a very important mineral - coal. In ancient times, all spore-bearing plants were giant trees. From their dead trunks, under conditions of high pressure and lack of oxygen, coal was formed. Scientists-paleontologists still find fossilized remains of ancient spore plants in the layers of this substance.

Ferns are also of great importance in medicine. For example, the rhizomes of the male shield have a very strong anthelmintic effect. But adiantum (venus hair) causes a gag reflex, without irritating the mucous membranes. It also acts as a laxative and diuretic. Grassroot has long been used as an antidote for snake bites. Centipede virginiana is widely used in Tibetan medicine. Painkillers and cold medicines are made from it.

The structure of the fern is the most complex and progressive among all higher spore plants. Its life cycle is dominated by sporophyte. Modern ferns are most often represented by herbaceous life forms that occupy an important niche in a variety of ecosystems.

The world loves us back

And I’ll post it here!) With your permission)
Due to the approach of one of the Power Points of the Wheel of the Year)

Fern is one of the legendary plants on Earth, preserved from the Tertiary period, when their most rapid evolution in the history of development took place.
The first ferns appeared during the Paleozoic era approximately 400 million years ago. The oldest fossil forms are known from Devonian. These ancient plants are distributed throughout the planet, mainly in warm and humid places - the tropics and subtropics, and are also found in forests, swamps, and rock crevices.
Ferns can have a tree-like form or come in the form of herbs. In nature, there are about 300 genera and more than 10,000 species of ferns. In herbaceous species, the stem is modified and is several centimeters in length. Tree-like forms grow up to 30 meters.
One of the most common species is the Male shield plant. This is what we will talk about.

BUILDING FEATURES
The male shield plant is a typical representative of true ferns. Its stem is modified into a claw-shaped rhizome and covered with brown scales. A bunch of leaves grows on the surface. Young leaves are curled into a snail shape and bloom in early summer. The new leaf begins to unfurl under the surface of the soil and finally develops only in the third year of life. All mature leaves die off in the fall each year. What we see on the surface is a leaf. By no means a stem. What is commonly called the stem is the petiole of the leaf. What is commonly called the rhizome is the stem. In the future, when referring to the stem, I will write “rhizome”, since this is how the reader is more accustomed to perceiving the claw-shaped underground part of the plant.
The male shield plant reproduces with the help of spores that sit in sporangia on the back of the leaf closer to summer.

LEGENDS ABOUT FERN
Most legends about ferns are associated with the folk festival Kupala, held on the night of the Summer Solstice. It was believed that on this day one could find the Mysterious Fireflower - the Fern Flower. It is also called Perunov Tsvet, Zhar-Tsvet, Razryv Grass. According to popular beliefs, the flower of this plant was endowed with magical properties. A person who manages to get hold of a bright red fern flower that blooms only for a moment acquires magical knowledge and abilities:
- he will be happy all his life;
- learn to understand the language of flora and fauna;
- treasures hidden in the earth will be revealed to him;
- he will acquire the ability to become invisible;
- to bewitch the girl or boy he likes;
- “turn away” a thundercloud from your field;
- evil spirits will have no power over him.
But a fern flower is not given to a person: it is difficult to find and see and almost impossible to pick and keep, for evil spirits prevent this.

O. Dixon and I. Yande in their book “Shamanic Practices” give the following description of the Fireflower: “The magical power of the Male Fern was recognized by many peoples. The ancient Slavs dedicated it to the god of Thunder - Perun. It was believed that at midnight on the Summer Solstice, when the maximum rise of the Power of Fire occurs, a luminous energy clot the size of a small egg is formed above the fern. This clot is popularly called the Fern Flower. ... The extraction of the Fern Flower was accompanied by complex ritual actions and spells, which in the Middle Ages began to have a Christian character. The person had to put on a white veil and stand on the north side of the fern, so that the shadow in no case fell on the bush. After the flower appeared, it had to be immediately grabbed with both hands so that its light would not go out and immediately swallowed.

THE MAGICAL POWER OF FERN
It is believed that not only the Male Shield, but also all types of ferns provide protection from evil forces. The magical properties of fern have been known for a long time - it helps in the fight against witchcraft, to scare away dark and negative Forces, it also helps in the treatment of certain diseases that arise as a result of negative intentions, mainly curses and damage. How to protect your home from dark and harmful manifestations? It is necessary to place a fern stem under or above the threshold (by stem we mean a claw-shaped formation, which is often mistakenly called a rhizome), preferably so that it is invisible and certainly inaccessible to strangers.
There are a lot of folk legends and tales associated with fern. So, according to one belief, the fern has power over evil spirits, commands over earth and water, drives away nightmares, and repels lightning and hail. Worn on a naked body, the fern protects against damage, the evil eye, hexes and evil spirits. This talisman brings happiness, good luck and strength.

Here are three types of amulets. They are made on the night of the Summer Solstice and, interacting with the human energy structure, increase the body’s resistance to various negative factors of the subtle world.

"Shield Man"
The making of this amulet is described by O. Dixon and I. Yande.
For the amulet, you must first select a large, strong and healthy bush of the Male Shield. Bury offerings for the Spirits on four sides of it. Four coins made of white metal are suitable for this (in ancient times the coins were silver). At exactly midnight, nine leaves must be plucked from the bush along with the claw-shaped stems and rhizomes. Separate them from the leaves and dry them slightly for several hours. The pulp should remain green. Then pierce the “rhizomes” in two places - top and bottom and string them one after another on a thread. Tie the ends with a knot that can be easily undone. The result is a jug consisting of nine slices. As it dries, the knots are untied and the “rhizomes” are pulled up. When the amulet turns black and becomes dense, permanent knots are knitted.
The resulting amulet is worn around the neck on a cord in the solar plexus area, like this. So that it touches the body. During predictive operations, the amulet is clamped in the fist of the left hand, which allows the questioner to better tune in to interpreting the signs. The period of validity of the amulet is limited and is one year - until the next Summer Solstice.

"Lucky Hand"
Just like the previous one, the amulet is made on the night of the Summer Solstice or Kupala. At midnight it is necessary to pull out the “rhizome”. Then you should cut off all but five unexpanded leaves. The result is a figure resembling a human hand. As long as the owner keeps it, his family will be protected from any type of witchcraft.

"Kandyk"
I know this amulet from my great-grandmother. It is made very simply and, unlike the previous two, it can be made throughout the warm season from the moment the leaves bloom. To do this, you need to find a bush and pull out the leaf so as not to damage the “claw-shaped rhizome.” Then mark the desired length of the petiole, so that after making the amulet you can easily put it on over your head. Next, you should thoroughly knead the petiole, starting from the “rhizome” so that it does not break. The root contains two cambial bundles, resembling flat green threads up to 5 mm wide. Now you need to separate the pulp from them and tie them in a knot.
The amulet does not last long. According to legends, it traditionally protects against subtle entities and energetic influences, and also protects against snake bites.

Ferns are the most ancient group of higher plants. They are found in various environmental conditions. In temperate zones, these are herbaceous plants, most common in humid forests; some grow in wetlands and ponds and their leaves die off during the winter. In tropical rainforests there are tree ferns with a columnar trunk up to 20 meters high.

The most common ferns are bracken and ostrich.

Structure

The dominant phase in the fern life cycle is the sporophyte (adult plant). Almost all ferns have a perennial sporophyte. The sporophyte has a rather complex structure. Leaves extend vertically upward from the rhizome, and adventitious roots extend downward (the primary root quickly dies). Often brood buds are formed on the roots, ensuring vegetative propagation of plants.

General view of the fern

Reproduction

Sporangia are located on the underside of the leaf, collected in groups (soruses). The sori are covered from above by a veil (ring). The spores disperse when the wall of the sporangium ruptures, and the ring, detached from the thin-walled cells, behaves like a spring. The number of spores on one plant reaches tens, hundreds of millions, sometimes billions.

Fern leaf from the underside

On moist soil, the spores germinate into a small green heart-shaped plate a few millimeters in size. This is a prothallus (gametophyte). It is located almost horizontally to the surface of the earth, attached to it by rhizoids. The prothalla is bisexual. On the underside of the prothallus, female and male genital organs are formed (male - antheridia, female - archegonia).

Prothallus formation

Fertilization occurs in an aquatic environment (during dew, rain or under water).

Fertilization

Male gametes - sperm swim up to the eggs, penetrate inside and the gametes fuse.

Fertilization occurs, resulting in the formation of a zygote (fertilized egg).

Fertilization

From the fertilized egg, a sporophyte embryo is formed, consisting of a haustorium - a leg with which it grows into the tissue of the prothallus and consumes nutrients from it, an embryonic root, a bud, and the first leaf of the embryo - “cotyledons”.

Prothallus formation

Over time, a fern plant develops from the shoot.

Fern development diagram

Thus, gametophyte ferns exist independently of the sporophyte and are adapted to living in humid conditions.

Sporophyte is the entire plant that grows from a zygote - a typical land plant.