Desiccation-tolerant plants use a variety of strategies to endure water scarcity, among them a
rapid accumulation of compatible solutes, especially of non-structural carbohydrates in flowering
plants, is well known. However, this strategy is poorly documented in ferns. This study analyzed
sugars in the desiccation-tolerant fern Parahemionitis arifolia. Sugars were extracted from leaves
and rhizomes from fresh plants as well as plants in various stages of desiccation with a deuterium
oxide (D2O)-based phosphate buffer. Water-soluble metabolites were analyzed using proton nuclear
magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. Results showed that sucrose was the most abundant
form of sugar, with its content increasing through the drying process. Our findings suggest that sucrose
may play a key role in preventing damage during drought in desiccation-tolerant ferns, similar
to what has been documented in other desiccation-tolerant flowering plants.