Ferns and lower plants

Dicksonia navarrenis

COMMON NAME: Helecho mono

This tree fern has neither spines nor scales; the leaf bases are covered by a compact layer of hairs, giving the appearance of monkey- or dog fur. This species can produce leaf bulbils at the leaf bases (see 'blond nodules' on the picture), which can generate new plants (for asexual, clonal propagation)

Peltapteris flabellata

A small, epiphytic fern, with miniature leaves resembling those of the tree Ginkgo biloba

   LEFT: normal leaves

   RIGHT: a reproductive leaf bearing sporangia

Equisetum giganteum

COMMON NAMES: Horsetail, Cola de caballo

A relative of the ferns, the horsetail is a plant growing on swampy substrates; it has medicinal properties.

   LEFT:  the tip of a growing shoot, showing vestigial leaves arising from the nodes

   RIGHT: a fertile tip (also called strobilous or cone) can produce many spores

Huperzia mandiocana

An epiphytic plant belonging to the family Lycopodiaceae.  It produces spores, in special organs (called sporangia) located at the base of each leaf (visible in the picture as white 'eggs')