Flowering fern

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

flowering fern
    n 1: Australasian fern with clusters of sporangia on stems of
         fertile fronds [syn: {flowering fern}, {Helminthostachys
         zeylanica}]
    2: any fern of the genus Osmunda: large ferns with creeping
       rhizomes; naked sporangia are on modified fronds that
       resemble flower clusters [syn: {flowering fern}, {osmund}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Flowering \Flow"er*ing\, a. (Bot.)
   Having conspicuous flowers; -- used as an epithet with many
   names of plants; as, flowering ash; flowering dogwood;
   flowering almond, etc.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Flowering fern}, a genus of showy ferns ({Osmunda}), with
      conspicuous bivalvular sporangia. They usually grow in wet
      places.

   {Flowering plants}, plants which have stamens and pistils,
      and produce true seeds; phenogamous plants; --
      distinguished from {flowerless plants}.

   {Flowering rush}, a European rushlike plant ({Butomus
      umbellatus}), with an umbel of rosy blossoms.
      [1913 Webster]