In the 1970s, Rolla and Alice Tryon of Harvard organized an annual fern conference at Harvard Forest every spring. The mission of the conference was to bring together researchers from across a broad spectrum of biology whose common link was that they either studied ferns per se or utilized ferns in their experiments. Talks ranged from classical pteridological subjects such as taxonomy, paleobotany and morp- logy, to experimental areas such as ecology, physiology, development, genetics, and biochemistry. For the participants, of whom I was lucky to be one, it was an int- lectually exhilarating experience. We all learned new things, and the cross fertili- tion of different subjects and research approaches led to new ideas and a better understanding of ferns as organisms. The present volume, Working with Ferns: Issues and Applications, edited by Helena Fernández, Ashwani Kumar and Maria Angeles Revilla, carries the Harvard Forest Fern Conference philosophy into the twenty-first century. The editors have assembled a truly remarkable array of contributions dealing with fern biology. Starting with researches utilizing Ceratopteris, a fern whose speedy life cycle I discovered during my doctoral research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew more than 40 years ago, and ending with a study of Pteridium aq- linum, a cosmopolitan species taxonomically revised by Professor Rolla Tryon, the papers in Working with Ferns: Issues and Applications offer a look at what is new in pteridology.

expose the most recent tendencies in their investigation, which is far from the traditional perspective followed.

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTIONCONTRIBUTION OF FERNS TO UNDERSTANDING OF PLANT DEVELOPMENTChapter 2 Cellular, molecular and genetic changes during the development of Ceratopteris richardii gametophytesAuthors: Salmi M, Bushart T and Roux S JChapter 3 Laboratory-induced Apogamy and Apospory in Ceratopteris richardiiAuthors: Cordle AR., Bui LT, Irish EE, and Cheng C-LChapter 4 Sexual reproduction in fernsAuthors: Menéndez V, Revilla A, Peredo E, Revilla MA, and Fernández H.Chapter 5 Gibberellic acid and ethylene control male sex determination and development of Anemia phyllitidis gametophytesAuthor: Kazmierczak A.Chapter 6 The sporophytes of seed-free vascular plants -major vegetative developmental features and molecular genetic pathwaysAuthors: Tomescu A.PROPAGATION, CONSERVATION AND CONTROL OF GENETIC VARIABILITY IN FERNS.Chapter 7 Form spore to sporophyte: How to proceed in vitroAuthors: Menéndez V, Arbesú R, Somer M, Revilla A, and Fernández H.Chapter 8 In vitro regeneration systems of PlatyceriumAuthors: Camloh M and Ambrozic-Dolinsek J.Chapter 9 Stipule propagation in five Marattioid species native to Taiwan (Marattiaceae; Pteridophyta)Authors: Huang Y-M, Huang M-H, Chen C-M, Chiou W-LChapter 10 Tree ferns biotechnology: from spores to sporophytesAuthors: Rybczy?ski JJ and Miku?a A.Chapter 11 In Vitro Propagation of Rare and Endangered Serpentine Fern SpeciesAuthors: Marsza?-Jagacka J and Kromer KChapter 12 Conservation of fern spores.Authors: Ballesteros D.Chapter 13 Exploration of cryo-methods to preserve tree and herbaceous fern gametophytesAuthors: Miku?a A, Makowski D, Walters C, and Rybczy?ski JJ.Chapter 14 Pteridophyte spores viabilityAutores: Gabriel y Galán JM, and Prada C.Chapter 15 Microsatellites: a powerful genetic marker for fern researchAuthor: Jiménez-Soria A.Chapter 16 Diversity in natural fern populations: dominant markers as genetic tools.Authors: Peredo EL, Revilla MA, Méndez M,Menéndez V and Fernández H.ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY: ECOTOXICOLOGY AND BIOREMEDIATION IN FERNSChapter 17 Mitochondrial activity of fern spores for the evaluation of acute totoxicity in higher plant developmentAuthors: Catalá M, Esteban M and García L.Chapter 18 Chronic phytotoxicity in gametophytes: DNA as biomarker of growth and chlorophyll autofluorescence as biomarker of cell functionAuthors: Catalá M and Rodriguez-Gil JL.Chapter 19 Arsenic hyperaccumulator fern Pteris vittata: Utilities for arsenic phytoremediation and plant biotechnologyAuthor: Rathinasabapathi B.Chapter 20 Aerobiology of Pteridophyta spores: preliminary results and applicationsAuthor: Rodriguez de la Cruz D.THERAPEUTICAL/MEDICINAL APPLICATIONSChapter 21 Studies on Folk Medicinal Fern: An example of ¿GusuibüAuthor: Chang H-C, Gupta SK and Tsay H-S.Chapter 22 Ecdysteroids in Ferns: diversity, distribution, biosynthesis and functionsAuthors: Lafont R, Ho R, Raharivelomanana P and Dinan L.Chapter 23 Ferns - from traditional uses to pharmaceutical development; chemical identification of active principlesAuthors: Ho R, Teai T, Bianchini JP, Lafont R and Raharivelomanana P.Chapter 24 Functional activities of ferns for human healthAuthors: Lee CH and Shin SL.Chapter 25 Toxicological and medicinal aspects of the most frequent fern species Pteridium aquilinumAuthor: Vetter J.