{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.fern","code":"thing-q80005","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q80005/","name":"fern","alternateNames":["ornamental fern","tree fern"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.LIV"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A fern is a spore-dispersing vascular plant of class Polypodiopsida whose typical vegetative organ is a megaphyllous frond that uncoils by circinate vernation, with a free-living gametophyte and no seeds; under the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group system this clade also includes horsetails and whisk ferns.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise a fern, assess its life stage and condition, and choose care, propagation or handling actions appropriate to its identity and setting.","scope":{"in":["Identification supported by frond, stem and reproductive characters","Boundaries of an individual, crown, rhizome-connected clump or gametophyte","Frond development, seasonal behaviour and reproductive state","Water, light, temperature and growing-medium compatibility","Condition assessment and suitability for care or propagation"],"out":["Whole woodland, wetland or other habitat dynamics","Soil, substrate and water bodies as independent things","Plant pathogens and herbivores as independently modelled organisms","Containers, irrigation systems and greenhouse equipment","Commercial nursery inventories and transactions"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Check reproductive structures: a flowering or seed-bearing plant sold under a fern-like common name requires reassessment; absence of flowers alone does not establish fern identity.","Where present, inspect sporangia and their arrangement, including sori or specialised fertile structures; distinguish organised reproductive structures from lesions, eggs or attached pests.","Examine frond attachment, venation, division and stem or rhizome characters together; a feathery leaf shape alone cannot distinguish a fern from a flowering look-alike.","Record whether emerging fronds uncoil as fiddleheads, but do not require this character or treat it as sufficient identification by itself.","For a small thallus-like specimen, seek reproductive characters, associated young sporophytes or expert evidence before identifying it as a fern gametophyte rather than a bryophyte or other growth."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"fern-recognition","name":"Fern recognition","description":"Establish whether the organism is a fern and how precisely it can be identified.","layers":[{"id":"vegetative-evidence","name":"Vegetative evidence","description":"Assess frond and stem characters without relying on overall resemblance.","findings":[{"id":"diagnostic-character-combination","name":"Diagnostic character combination","description":"Record the combination of visible characters supporting or contradicting the proposed identity.","questions":[{"text":"What frond division, venation, stipe, scale or hair characters and stem features are observable?","id":"diagnostic-character-combination-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which identification key or expert determination supports the candidate identity, and which characters remain unchecked?","id":"diagnostic-character-combination-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"fertile-structure-evidence","name":"Fertile structure evidence","description":"Use reproductive structures to refine identification and resolve look-alikes.","findings":[{"id":"sporangia-versus-look-alikes","name":"Sporangia versus look-alikes","description":"Document suspected reproductive structures and the evidence distinguishing them from damage or attached organisms.","questions":[{"text":"Where are suspected sporangia located, how are they arranged, and are coverings or specialised fertile fronds visible?","id":"sporangia-versus-look-alikes-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What observation would distinguish these structures from scale insects, eggs, lesions or other look-alikes?","id":"sporangia-versus-look-alikes-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"organism-boundary-and-life-cycle","name":"Organism boundary and life cycle","description":"Identify the unit being assessed and its developmental and reproductive stage.","layers":[{"id":"connected-growth","name":"Connected growth","description":"Establish how visible fronds and crowns relate to stems and neighbouring growth.","findings":[{"id":"assessment-unit","name":"Assessment unit","description":"Define a practical observation unit without assuming that nearby fronds are separate organisms.","questions":[{"text":"Which fronds arise from the same visible crown, rhizome or trunk, and which connections are only suspected?","id":"assessment-unit-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Would lifting, cutting or dividing this unit disturb growth beyond the intended specimen?","id":"assessment-unit-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"development-and-reproduction","name":"Development and reproduction","description":"Record life-cycle stage and evidence of reproductive readiness.","findings":[{"id":"stage-and-fertility","name":"Stage and fertility","description":"Separate developmental identity from the current presence of fertile structures.","questions":[{"text":"Is the observed organism a gametophyte or sporophyte, and what evidence supports that assessment?","id":"stage-and-fertility-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What evidence shows whether fertile structures are immature, releasing spores, spent or of unresolved maturity?","id":"stage-and-fertility-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"growing-site-compatibility","name":"Growing-site compatibility","description":"Assess whether the fern's placement supports its particular growth habit and requirements.","layers":[{"id":"root-and-rhizome-environment","name":"Root and rhizome environment","description":"Assess attachment, medium, moisture and drainage around the structures sustaining growth.","findings":[{"id":"medium-and-water-fit","name":"Medium and water fit","description":"Relate observed growing conditions to requirements established for the identified fern.","questions":[{"text":"What supports the roots and rhizome, and how do wetness and drainage change between watering or rainfall events?","id":"medium-and-water-fit-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What taxon-specific evidence supports the current attachment, planting depth and moisture regime?","id":"medium-and-water-fit-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"frond-microclimate","name":"Frond microclimate","description":"Characterise light and atmospheric exposure at the fern rather than at a distant reference point.","findings":[{"id":"exposure-fit","name":"Exposure fit","description":"Record exposure patterns relevant to frond function and stress.","questions":[{"text":"What light, temperature, humidity and drying-air exposure reach the fronds over a representative day?","id":"exposure-fit-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which measured conditions fall outside documented tolerances for the candidate taxon and life stage?","id":"exposure-fit-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"frond-and-crown-condition","name":"Frond and crown condition","description":"Assess the fern's condition through growth patterns and the location and progression of symptoms.","layers":[{"id":"frond-cohort-dynamics","name":"Frond cohort dynamics","description":"Compare emerging, mature and ageing fronds through time.","findings":[{"id":"growth-versus-decline","name":"Growth versus decline","description":"Record whether frond replacement and loss are compatible with the fern's expected seasonal behaviour.","questions":[{"text":"How many fronds are emerging, expanding, mature or dying, and how has that distribution changed?","id":"growth-versus-decline-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What evidence distinguishes expected seasonal frond loss from abnormal decline in this fern?","id":"growth-versus-decline-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"symptom-location-and-progression","name":"Symptom location and progression","description":"Locate symptoms across fronds, growing points and accessible below-ground structures.","findings":[{"id":"stress-evidence","name":"Stress evidence","description":"Describe symptoms and competing explanations before selecting treatment.","questions":[{"text":"Where are discolouration, wilting, tissue loss or softening occurring, and how quickly are they spreading?","id":"stress-evidence-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What additional inspection would discriminate among moisture stress, exposure injury, physical damage and a pest or pathogen?","id":"stress-evidence-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"care-and-propagation-decisions","name":"Care and propagation decisions","description":"Choose and evaluate interventions using fern identity, growth structure and current condition.","layers":[{"id":"care-intervention","name":"Care intervention","description":"Connect a proposed care change to observations and a measurable response.","findings":[{"id":"targeted-care-change","name":"Targeted care change","description":"Specify the evidence, intended benefit and follow-up for an intervention.","questions":[{"text":"Which observed condition justifies changing watering, exposure, medium or placement, and what taxon-specific guidance supports the change?","id":"targeted-care-change-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which changes in new-frond development, turgor or symptom progression would indicate improvement or deterioration, and over what interval?","id":"targeted-care-change-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"propagation-and-collection","name":"Propagation and collection","description":"Assess whether division or spore-based propagation is appropriate and permitted.","findings":[{"id":"propagation-readiness","name":"Propagation readiness","description":"Establish a supported propagation route and its constraints before removing material.","questions":[{"text":"Does this fern have growth suitable for division or mature spores suitable for collection, and what evidence supports the proposed method?","id":"propagation-readiness-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"What ownership, collection or conservation restrictions apply to removing this specimen or its reproductive material?","id":"propagation-readiness-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of fern this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of fern this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation","name":"Standards and regulation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of fern this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of fern this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-measurements","name":"Typical measurements","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of fern this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-measurements-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of fern this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of fern this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of fern this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Identify ferns and record sightings with location and habitat.","Explain fern biology and life cycle from botanical sources."],"mustNot":["Uproot ferns from the wild or protected areas without permission.","Advise eating fern fiddleheads or rhizomes without warning that some species are toxic or carcinogenic.","Trade protected or rare species.","Plant invasive fern species outside their range."],"requiresHuman":["Collecting wild plants for sale or research."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Some ferns are rare and slow to recover from collection.","Invasive ferns can overrun native habitats."],"affectedParties":["Wild fern populations","Foragers","Native ecosystems"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: wild plants are protected by law where they grow; the keeper answers for cultivated ones.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Species occurrence databases"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q27133","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.fern","Wikidata: Q80005 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80005)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Identification and supporting evidence: Candidate taxon or unresolved fern; confidence; observed diagnostic characters","Life-cycle stage: Gametophyte, juvenile sporophyte, mature sporophyte, mixed or unresolved","Growth habit: Terrestrial, epiphytic, rock-associated, aquatic or unresolved; creeping, clumping or trunk-forming where applicable","Connected growth boundary: Observed or suspected connection between fronds, crowns, rhizomes and neighbouring growth","Frond dimensions: Frond length and maximum width in cm, with developmental stage","Frond cohort condition: Emerging, expanding, mature, senescing or dead; colour, turgor and damage by cohort","Reproductive structures: Absent, present or unexamined; location, arrangement and apparent maturity","Root-zone moisture: Method-labelled moisture reading or wetness class, with depth and observation time","Light exposure: PPFD in µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ where available; direct-sun duration in hours per day","Microclimate: Temperature in °C and relative humidity in %, including observed range and duration"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Feathery fronds that unroll from tight coils called fiddleheads.","Clusters of spores on the underside of fronds; no flowers or seeds."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Inspect and photograph diagnostic frond and reproductive structures with minimal disturbance.","Track marked fronds and crowns to assess growth, damage and seasonal change.","Adjust watering, drainage, light or humidity using identity-specific evidence.","Repot, remount or relocate a fern after assessing its growth habit and root or rhizome condition.","Evaluate division or spore propagation when identity, maturity and collection permission support it.","Remove confirmed dead tissue or isolate a symptomatic cultivated specimen when justified by observations."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Some ferns, such as bracken, are toxic to livestock and people.","Invasive ferns smother native vegetation."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, adopted by the International Botanical Congress, governs the scientific naming of ferns."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Ferns occur in habitats ranging from moist woodland and wetlands to rocky sites, with suitable conditions varying by species.","They are encountered in ecological surveys, botanical collections, gardens, and indoor plant cultivation.","They are cultivated for foliage and studied to understand plant diversity, reproduction, and habitat conditions."]}},"sources":[{"title":"A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12229","note":"Circumscription of Polypodiopsida, inclusion of horsetails and whisk ferns, and the named subclasses and orders used as kinds."},{"title":"A classification for extant ferns","url":"","note":"Pre-PPG familial classification still used in herbaria and floras; morphology of leptosporangiate versus eusporangiate lineages."},{"title":"Plants of the World Online","url":"https://powo.science.kew.org/","note":"Accepted names, distribution, and current placement of genera commonly treated as ferns."},{"title":"CITES Appendices I, II and III","url":"https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php","note":"International trade controls on tree ferns (Cyathea and Dicksonia, among others)."},{"title":"Wikidata item Q80005: fern","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80005","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Fern","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Does the registry intend fern to include all lineages treated as ferns by its chosen taxonomic authority, including horsetails and whisk ferns?","Should independently observed gametophytes use this same model throughout, or require a specialised linked model?","What operational rule should distinguish an individual from a rhizome-connected clump when genetic identity is unknown?","Which authoritative references will supply taxon-specific environmental tolerances, seasonal behaviour and propagation requirements?","Should ingestion and animal-exposure decisions be handled by a linked toxicity model, and what species-level evidence would that require?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q80005/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q80005/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex","Grok"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-07T11:19:58Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-09T07:30:03+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}