Then the gametophyte dies away. This complicated life cycle evolved hundreds of millions of years ago. Though it might seem clunky, it does offer some advantages. Having the male and female structures ...

The spores released by the sporophyte – the asexually reproducing form that we commonly recognize as a fern – germinate into either a tiny, heart-shaped, hermaphroditic gametophyte (“hermaphroditic” ...

the other life cycle of the fern, known as gametophyte, appears as a tiny heart-shaped organism, with its own root-like ...