Ferns are among the most interesting plants in the plant world.
Varieties in Hawaii range from dainty filmy ferns less than one inch in
length to stately tree ferns over 40 feet high, and inhabit areas
varying from dry, barren lava flows to impenetrable rain jungles.
More primitive than flowering plants, ferns reproduce by means of small,
dust-like bodies called spores. These spores are often carried in the
air, and are so lightweight that they can be blown for thousands of
miles by winds. The ferns of Hawaii, or their ancestors, apparently
reached these islands with the help of winds, except for those
introduced recently by man.