Word: fern
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...oilmen, they mean hefty savings in exploration costs, since fern fossils will indicate at what depths oil is likely to be found. Fern spores, very common in fossil records, are used to date the age of rocks below the earth's surface. Since scientists know that rocks of a certain age-or depth-are more likely to contain oil than others, fern-spore dating can help them decide whether to drill deeper to find...
Since a higher grade coal will contain different fern spores than a lower grade coal, identifying the type of spore will indicate to coalmen the quality of their deposit...
...Fern leaves are even used in come areas to preserve cheese, and certain ferns have a medicinal use as diuretics...
...Tryon, however have found a more domestic purpose for the scientifically vital fern. In the spring they scan the New England woodlands for fiddlehead ferns, which the couple then eat fresh in soups and salads or freeze to enjoy year round...
While Rollo Tryon concentrates on the plant's visible characteristics, his wife concentrates on the tiny fern spores, on which she is a renowned expert. "I work on the little parts, while he does the big stuff," she says...