The tightly curled "croziers" of the young fronds gradually unfurl and grow into all kinds of strange shapes, such as the peacock-tail spread of the spider brake fern, or the spine-like protuberances along the leaf edges of Bolbitis appendiculata. By contrast, the whisk fern (Psilotum nudum) has no fronds at all, but creeping stems shaped just like pine needles.
形的嫩葉，隨著時間逐漸平展，長成各種造型特異的葉片，如孔雀開屏的鳳尾蕨；葉緣刺狀突起的刺蕨；還有不長葉片、地上莖與松針如出一轍的松葉蕨。