The flying spider-monkey tree fern genome provides insights into fern evolution and arborescence. Nature Plants , 2022; 8 (5): 500 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01146-6 Cite This Page : ...

Plant biologists report that a species of tree fern found only in Panama reanimates its own dead leaf fronds, converting them into root structures that feed the mother plant. The fern, Cyathea ...

But this tree fern’s “zombie leaves,” or leaf roots, represent the first known example of a repurposing of dying tissue, said Eddie Watkins, a professor and fern expert at Colgate University ...

Now the first full tree fern genome has been successfully sequenced—that of the flying spider-monkey tree fern—hinting at how these peculiar plants accrued such a massive set of genes.

Cyathea rojasiana tree ferns seem to thrive in Panama’s Quebrada Chorro forest by turning dead leaves into roots that seek out nutrient-rich soil.

Scientists have discovered a zombie tree that converts its leaves into roots as it dies. The Cyathea rojasiana tree fern, which is native to Panama in Central America, was studied by plant ...

Such is not the case with the Cyathea rojasiana fern, though – a scientist has discovered that its dead fronds become "zombie leaves" which suck nutrients from the soil. SUBSCRIBE LOG IN ...

Ferns have been around for over 360 million years. Giant tree fern forests were common for millions of years but they gave way as flowering plants evolved to take their place.

Imagine a lush forest with tree ferns, their trunks capped by ribbon-like fronds. Conifers tower overhead, bearing triangular leaves almost sharp enough to pierce skin. Flowering plants are both small ...