Anyone remember “Candy Buttons”?

This is the underside of a fern leaf or frond (Phlebodium aureum, family Polypodiaceae). The dots are “sori” (singular, “sorus”). Each sorus will eventually contain many spores, which will allow the fern to reproduce.
See http://www.hardyferns.org/fern-info-propagation.php

Thanks to Karen for explaining this! And all those times there were ferns with these “dots” among the roses I bought for Clare over the years? I thought the ferns were diseased or infested with something!

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Phlebodium_aureum&rank=binomial

Photo taken at the SIUC Plant Biology Greenhouse, http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/facilities/plant-biology-facilities/greenhouse/index.php

A year ago (“Santa Bears”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-12-05

[MaryBeth Dailey]

Oh, these are like those buttons of candy on paper!

[Chris]

Beautiful design!

[Thom Mitchell]

@espyetta Exactly! And exactly "Candy Buttons"! See http://www.necco.com/candy/Candy-Buttons.aspx

[Rick Schies]

Oh yes I do, in fact every so often I see them still

[Tara]

Yep - that's exactly what this reminds me of. Nice shot, Thom.

[elaine]

Interesting shot!