| MadSci Network: Botany |
Palm trees are not closely related to ferns but they are both vascular plants so are related to some extent. There are tree ferns that can reach over 30 feet tall. They look somewhat like palm trees. Tree ferns are true ferns. Ferns are in a different phylum than palms. Ferns are in the phylum Pteridophyta and several families. Palms are in the phylum Magnoliophyta, which is the flowering plants. True palms are in the family Arecaceae. Palms are flowering plants and reproduce via seeds. Ferns are nonflowering, seedless plants; they reproduce via spores. Sago palm (Cycas revoluta) is a seed plant, but not a flowering plant. It is in the phylum Cycadophyta and family Cycadaceae. References Wikipedia article on Fern Wikipedia article on Arecaceae Wikipedia article on Cycas Wikipedia article on Tree fern
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