Pteridology (FERNS) with Fay-Wei Li

Fronds. Forest dwellers. Spores. Houseplants. Queer icons. We’ve got ferns. The charming and hilarious professor and author of “Ferns: Lessons in Survival from Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants,” Dr. Fay-Wei Li, tells me all about fern evolution, what ferns not to have in your house, the most expensive ferns, the tastiest ferns, mathematical mysteries, and a genome that makes no sense, to me or a lot of Pteridologists. Also, can Between Two Ferns save science? This episode is, in Fay-Wei’s words, “ferntastic.”Visit Dr. Li’s lab website and follow him on Google ScholarBuy his book, Ferns: Lessons in Survival from Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants, on Bookshop.org or AmazonA donation went to the ASPT Herbarium Emergency FundMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Bryology (MOSS), Domestic Phytology (HOUSEPLANTS), Neuroendocrinology (SEX & GENDER), Paleontology (DINOSAURS), Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS, Ethnoecology (ETHNOBOTANY/NATIVE PLANTS), Dendrology (TREES), Myrmecology (ANTS), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES)400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.