Distinct Fern Thrives on Soil Nutrients Via Dead Zombie Leaves
Plant biology professor James Dalling and colleagues discovered that some tree ferns recycle their dead fronds into rootsFred ZwickyTypically, when a fern's leaf fronds die, the plant no longer benefits from them. However, the Cyathea rojasiana fern is an exception. A scientist has identified that its expired fronds transform into "zombie leaves" that absorb...