What Is an Air Fern?
The "plants" known as air ferns are not ferns at all. In fact, the delicate air fern is not even alive by the time it ends up on display in a store. Does this Spark an idea?
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Definition
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While the air fern might look like a plant, it is actually made up of the dried, skeletal colonies of marine hydroids called Sertularia argentea. These tiny animals are distantly related to corals and jellyfish. The Sertularia are dredged up by boats from the ocean and dried to be sold as decorative indoor plants or aquarium decorations.
Description
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The delicate branches of the Sertularia do look a lot like ferns with their fine leaf-like structure, which are actually the chambers where the animal lived. However, the green coloring of the air fern is actually green dye applied to the dried Sertularia to make it look more like a plant.
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Name
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The air fern is also sometimes known as a Neptune plant, air moss, sea moss or sea fir.
Misconceptions
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The air fern is often sold as a live plant in a pot or other container. Sometimes it is advertised as a plant that needs no water or fertilizer. Of course, the reason the air fern can survive such neglect is that it is not alive.
Other Uses
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For those who do not have a green thumb, the air fern can actually make an attractive indoor decoration, even if it is not a true live plant. The air fern is also used as green decoration by florists in flower arrangements.
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References
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Comments
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wierd dude......... soooo totally gross.................................................................................................lalal.............................
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what is plowing?
