Scandinavian ferns

Ferns are plants of discreet appearance and modest requirements; they have no showy flowers and generally lead an unobtrusive existence. However, to the attentive observer they have a special appeal, each species having its own personality, be it graceful, delicate, rugged, or bizarre. Their individual character is usually due to subtly transformed repetition, gradual elaboration or simplification of a characteristic basic form, leading to patterns of great elegance. Ferns are different from flowering plants in their dispersal and reproductive biology and this affects their role and possibilities in nature. Scandinavia offers a great variety of fern habitats and its Flora counts 72 species of ferns and fern-allies in addition several varieties and hybrids, many of them with remarkable life histories and adaptations to unusual environments. Most of the species are not restricted to Scandinavia, but several are particular to Scandinavia in a European context. This book is the first to