The fern is a type of leafy plant which reproduces by spores, and for this reason has neither seeds nor flowers. The leaf of a typical fern, called a frond, is easily recognizable from its fanlike shape. ____________________________. Because they require lots of water, most New Zealand ferns are found in moist, forested areas. They are very diverse in size, ranging from tiny ferns a few millimeters long to tree ferns that can reach 20 meters in height. One type of fern, the bracken, was eaten as a staple food by the Maori natives, who called it raraka. Of the tree ferns, the hardy wheki is probably the most resilient in the face of fire and forest clearance. The mamaku or black tree fern is the biggest, but the most well-known is surely the silver fern or ponga, which got its name from the white underside to its frond. The silver fern has become one of New Zealand’s national symbols, with most of the country’s sports teams featuring the silver fern leaf in their logo. Ferns are a common sight in New Zealand forests, and visitors to the country’s forest parks are sure to encounter both delicate filmy ferns and strikingly large tree ferns.
Choices:
a. Some ferns have adapted to live in high mountains and deserts, and others are epiphytes, which grow on other plants without harming them.
b. New Zealand is home to over 80 species of fern, many of which grow nowhere else.
c. There are many invasive species on the island of New Zealand, including sheep, rats and clover.