Fern plants. Like all other vascular plants, the diploid sporophyte is the dominant phase or generation in the life cycle. The gametophytes of ferns, however, are very different from those of seed plants. They are free-living and resemble liverworts, whereas those of seed plants develop within the spore wall and are dependent on the parent sporophyte for their nutrition. A fern gametophyte typically consists of: Ferns first appear in the fossil record in the early Carboniferous period. By the Triassic, the first evidence of ferns related to several modern families appeared. The great fern radiation occurred in the late Cretaceous, when
Tasmanian ferns has been attributed to the isolation of Tasmania from the mainland during interglacial periods, which restricted the dispersal of many species between the two land masses. This high level of endemism results in Tasmania’s cool temperate rainforests being characterized by a community of rainforest species unique to the state. Portions of the species that have managed to dominate these unique forests are ferns. There is a diverse range of ferns present within these forests, which vary in form, size, substrate preference and habit. The following describes some of the major fern species to grow in Tasmania’s cool temperate rainforests. Commonly