Fern

What a lovely day it has been. Lots done in the garden as had a day off.
This photo was taken on walkies this evening and shows definite signs of spring.

Ferns first appear in the fossil record 360 million years ago in the Carboniferous but many of the current families and species did not appear until roughly 145 million years ago in the early Cretaceous (after flowering plants came to dominate many environments).
As the fronds unfurl the spores are projected into the breeze and seed themselves wherever they land. No messy and unreliable pollination required.