Cystopteris bulbifera (L.) Bernh.
Family: Dryopteridaceae
bladder fern, bulblet bladder fern, bulblet fragile fern
[Filix bulbifera (L.) Underw.,  more...]
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Derek Anderson  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Christopher Noll  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)  
Etymology: Cystopteris: from Greek cystis, "bladder," and pteris, "fern"
Plants: perennial fern
Habitat: damp areas in woods
Conservation Status: Native
On or among wet calcareous rocks, especial limestone or dolomite, on wet slopes and cliffs, creek banks, springy seeps, and on peaty hummocks in cedar swamps, often with many young plants arising from bulblets that have fallen from older plants. This species has probably hybridized many times with C. fragilis, C. protrusa and C. tvenuis. Doubling the chromosomes of the first two hybrids created the fertile allopolyploids C. laurentiana and C. tennesseensis, respectiely. The hybrids with C. tenuis are sterile triploids, named C.X illinoensis R.C.Moran. It closely resembles C. bulbifera, but the blades are widest above the base, the glandular hairs are not prominent, and its few bulblets are not uniformly globose. It usually grows on shaded rock outcroppings with C. bulbifera and C. tenuis nearby.
-fronds beoming long and narrowly triangular, widest at base and tapering to the tip

-mature fronds with bulbets below

-young fronds with glandular hairs on rachises, costae, and indusia

Cystopteris bulbifera image
Christopher Noll  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Christopher Noll  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Christopher Noll  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Christopher Noll  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Christopher Noll  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Kitty Kohout  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Robert W. Freckmann  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Christopher Noll  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Gary Fewless  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Derek Anderson  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Derek Anderson  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Derek Anderson  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Derek Anderson  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Botanical Illustration  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Botanical Illustration  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Aaron_Carlson  
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image
Cystopteris bulbifera image