Fern spores offer an excellent biological system for the analysis of physiological and developmental criteria. The independent gametophytes of ferns and their morphological simplicity have enabled us to use them as experimental objects in certain areas of plant growth and development. However, viability of spores of different ferns varies enormously with periods ranging from a few days to a few years (cf. Miller, 1968). Spores deteriorate during storage as revealed by reduction in their germination percentage (Conway, 1949; Stone, 1961; Klekowski, 1970; Bir & Goyal, 1981) and in the pace of gametophyte development after germination (Towill & Ikuma, 1975). The changes during spore germination involve mostly the breakdown of storage reserves present in the spores. The studies on the loss in viability of spores during storage are not well documented. The aim of the present investigation is to determine the physiological and biochemical changes that take place in spores during storage. Results on spore germination, protonemal development and biochemical changes during germination of spores of Pteris vittata L., a fern common on the Indian subcontinent, are presented here.