fronds

Frond is a term used in botany to describe the large, divided leaf of ferns and several other plants, including palms and cycads. In ferns, a frond typically arises from a subterranean rhizome and consists of a stalk (the stipe) and a broad leaf blade (the lamina).

Fronds in ferns are frequently compound, with the blade divided into pinnae, which in turn may be further divided into pinnules. The central axis is the rachis. Young fronds emerge coiled as fiddleheads (also called croziers) and uncoil as they mature; this mode of unfolding is called circinate vernation.

Many ferns bear sporangia on the undersides of the fronds. The sporangia cluster into sori, whose arrangement, shape, and presence or absence of an indusium vary among taxa and are used in fern identification.

Outside ferns, the term frond is widely used in horticulture for the leaves of palms and cycads. Palm fronds can be pinnate or palmate, with leaflets extending from a central axis or radiating from a common point. In these plants, the frond is typically a large, evergreen leaf adapted to specific climates and may be used ornamentally or symbolically.