Cystopteris Views
Cystopteris is a genus of ferns. These are known generally as bladderferns or fragile ferns. They are found in temperate areas worldwide. This is a very diverse genus and within a species individuals can look quite different, especially in harsh environments where they experience stress and remain small and stunted. Also, they hybridize easily with each other. Identifying an individual can be challenging. In general these are rhizomatous perennials which may grow in rocky areas or in soil. Their leaves are multiply pinnate, in that each leaflet is divided into smaller parts. The sori are usually rounded and are covered in an inflated bladder-like indusium.
Lower Taxa Cystopteris bulbifera (Linnaeus) BernhardiCystopteris fragilis (Linnaeus) BernhardiCystopteris laurentiana (Weatherby) BlasdellCystopteris montana (Lamarck) Bernhardi ex DesvauxCystopteris protrusa (Weatherby) BlasdellCystopteris reevesiana LellingerCystopteris tennesseensis ShaverCystopteris tenuis (Michaux) DesvauxCystopteris utahensis Windham
Cystopteris fragilis is a small fern, with fronds to 40 cm long, but often about half that size. In some earlier treatments Cystopteris fragilis was interpreted in a broader sense to include C. laurentiana, C. tennesseensis, C. protrusas and C. tenuis as varieties. See steps 60-64 in the key to distinguish the species, or refer to the Flora of North America, vol. 2 for a more thorough treatment of this difficult group of species.
Cystopteris fragilis is broadly distributed across northern North America, south to California, New Mexico, northern Illinois, New York and Connecticut. In Wisconsin it is known from scattered locations, with the greatest incidence in Door County and near Lake Superior. It prefers rocks as a substrate.
Cystopteris Images
