Divisions Horsetails and Ferns
Answers are for parents and teachers.
1
Compare horsetail and fern in a table by 4 features.
Horsetail: jointed stem, small leaves, spore cone. Fern: large feather-like leaves, sori, no cone.
2
State the difference between the spring and summer shoots of horsetail.
Spring: brown, unbranched, spore cone; summer: green, branched, photosynthesis.
3
Draw the fern life cycle and mark which generation is sexual and which is asexual.
Gametophyte — sexual; the large leafy fern (sporophyte) — asexual.
4
A fern leaf has 20 sori with 30 sporangia each; how many sporangia in total? (20 × 30)
600
5
Why do ferns and horsetails now grow mostly in damp places?
They need water for fertilization; the small gametophytes dry out quickly.