Cystopteris montana : Bladder Fern

Taxonomy

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

Class: Polypodopsida (fern class)

Family: Aspidiaceae (Fern Family)

Genera: Cystopteris (Bladder Ferns) (Gk. kistis = bladder or sac + pteris = a fern, referring to sac-like inducium)

Species: montana

English Name(s):

Bladder Fern, Mountain Bladder Fern

First Nation Names:


Description

Structure:

  • Fronds 30cm- 40cm tall. Arising singly (one at a time) along a horizontal creeping rhizome.
  • Fronds ternate(three parts). Two lower divisions somewhat narrower and shorter than the upper one.

Leaves:

Reproductive Parts:

  • Inducium roundish, hood-shaped, thin, inconspicuous, whitish and withering with age.
  • Sori round.

Seed:

    Not to Be Confused With:

    • There are 2 species of Gymnocarpiums (Oak Ferns) in our area that are about the same size and have ternate fronds. Gymnnocarpiums have no inducium.

    Biology

    Physiology:

      Life Cycle:

      Seasonal Cycle:


      Ecology

      Animal Uses:

        Habitat:

        • Cool damp woods and rocky slopes, preferes calcareous soils.

        Uses

        Modern:

        Industrial:

        Medicinal:

          Food:

            Traditional Gwich'in:

            Folklore:

              Industrial:

                Medicinal:

                  Food:

                    Traditional Other:

                    Folklore:

                      Industrial:

                        Medicinal:

                          Food:

                            Images

                            One side division of the ternate frond


                            Sori with whitish hooded inducium


                            Illustration from: Illustrated Flora of BC


                            Range Maps

                            World Range: Circumpolar; In N.A. from southern Greenland, to Alaska with gaps. South with gaps to Virginia, Tex

                            Prov/State Abrev. List


                            In Yukon: Rare in Yukon, found in Ogilvie Mountains and in southwestern parts.

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