Ferns are 'primitive' plants that spread by releasing spores rather than by producing flowers and fruits. The distinctive frond stage of the fern lifecycle is asexual; spores are released from the fronds, which then germinate into minuscule heart-shaped structures known as 'prothalli'. It is here that the sexual stage of the lifecycle occurs; male and female organs on the prothallus produce sperm and eggs respectively. If the female eggs are fertilised successfully, a new fern plant will begin to grow and the cycle starts again (4).   In Asplenium ascensionis however, the sexual stage of the lifecycle does not occur and the spore-producing plant develops directly from the prothallus (4).