Overview

• The fern's genome contains 160 billion base pairs, surpassing the previous record-holder, Paris japonica.
• Researchers from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Institut Botànic de Barcelona led the study published in iScience.
• Despite its large genome, the fern grows slowly and is less efficient at photosynthesis.
• This discovery highlights the vast genetic diversity in plants and raises questions about the limits of genome size.
• The findings have implications for understanding plant adaptation and biodiversity.