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
Eddie Ferns Albion Rovers on loan. At the end of the 2015–16 season, Ferns chose to leave Alloa in favour of signing for rivals Stirling Albion. Ferns left Stirling in January 2017, signing for fellow Scottish League Two side Arbroath shortly after. Eddie Ferns Edward 'Eddie' Ferns (born 18 April 1991) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a winger for Clyde. Ferns began his footballing career at Drumchapel Amateur, and signed with Alloa Athletic on 14 September 2012. He made his senior debut a day later, in a 0–2 home loss against Stenhousemuir, and was a part of the side who