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RE: Salvinia



Jason Miller is getting excited in class...

>  I am a second year university student and have just learned something
>quite interesting in my Vascular Plants (Botany) course.  Salvinia is a
>fern!

So are Azolla caroliniana (Azolla), Bolbitis heudelotii (African Water
Fern), Ceratopteris sp. (Water Sprite), Marsilea quadrifolia (Four Leaved
Water Clover), Microsorium pteropus (Java Fern), Isoetes malinverniana
(Quillfoil), and Pilularia globulifera.

For something even more primitive, try Vesicularia dubyana (Java Moss),
Leptodictyum roparium (River Moss), and Fontinalis antipyretica (Willow
Moss), which are all true mosses. Riccia fluitans is a liverwort.

If you want to go even further back into the evolutionary pathway, Nitella
flexillis is a Stonewort (a type of algae).

And if size interests you Jason, Wollfia arrhiza (looks like a tiny version
of Duckweed) is the smallest flowering plant in the world!

Stay excited Jason, not all Botany is boring!

James Purchase
Toronto