Fern fern ("Onoclea sensibilis"). Giant water fern ("Salvinia molesta") is one of the world's worst aquatic weeds. The important fossil fuel coal consists of the remains of primitive plants, including ferns. Ferns have been studied and found to be useful in the removal of heavy metals, especially arsenic, from the soil. Other ferns with some economic significance include: The study of ferns and other pteridophytes is called pteridology. A pteridologist is a specialist in the study of pteridophytes in a broader sense that includes the more distantly related lycophytes. Pteridomania is a term for the Victorian era craze of fern collecting
Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research and it coordinates and monitors research work of 23 centres spread across the country working on various other medicinal and aromatic plants. To its credit, it has released 26 varieties of medicinal plants and seven varieties of aromatic plants. The DMAPR is also maintaining 830 germplasm of medicinal and aromatic plants at their Field Gene Bank. The DMAPR houses Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Association of India which publishes the "Open Access Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants", a scholarly research open access journal related to medicinal and aromatic plants. Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research The Directorate of Medicinal