A flowerless vascular plant that reproduces by spores and typically has large, divided leaves called fronds that unfurl from coiled fiddleheads. Ferns are found worldwide and range from tiny aquatic species to tree-sized tropical forms.
From Old English 'fearn', related to Sanskrit 'parna' meaning leaf or feather, reflecting the feathery appearance of many fern fronds. The word has remained relatively unchanged across Germanic languages for over a thousand years.
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