Do ferns make flowers? Why or why not? -more than just a yes or no answer please...?

Question

Do ferns make flowers? Why or why not? -more than just a yes or no answer please...?

Answer 1

Shade: You almost make it sound like gymnosperms make flowers (and this is not correct).

To clarify: only angiosperms (a.k.a. flowering plants) make flowers. Because ferns are pteridophytes and not angiosperms, they do not make flowers.

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern

Added (for Shade): I suspected that you knew, but wanted to make sure others knew the distinction between seed- and flower-bearing plants. It's all good! :)

Answer 2

Ferns do not make flowers as they are neither a Gymnosperms nor Angiosperms (seed plants). Ferns reproduce by spores and undergo what is refered to as "alternation of generations" where they go through a multicellular haploid and diploid phase. See below.

You are correct Mavster. I didn't make that clear the way I worded the response.   Gymnosperms indeed do not produce flowers. But both Angiosperms and Gymnosperms are seed bearing plants.  Thanks for catching that Mavster.

Answer 3

Ferns are seedless therefore existed long before flowering plants appeared on earth.  The fern has a gametophyte stage that has only one set of chromosomes and produces antheridia (contains sperm) and archegonia (produces an egg in each).  The fertilization of the egg with a sperm produces the sporophyte stage which is typically what you see when you look at a fern.  The sporophyte stage has two complete sets of chromosomes.  On the underside of mature leaves, a structure called a sorus forms in which sporangia develop.  Each sporangium produces spores that germinate to produce new gametophytes which are usually small (five millimeters), heart-shaped structures.

Ferns have true stems, leaves and roots but do not form flowers.