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Johann Bernhardi named this genus in 1806. "Cystis" is Greek for "bladder" and refers to a flap of material that covers the fern spores; "pteris" is Greek for "Fern". Family names for ferns often vary from one flora to another; Cystopteris, for example, is currently placed in at least five different families: Woodsiaceae, Athyriaceae, Polypodiaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Cystopteridaceae. I have placed it in Cystopteridaceae (Fragile Fern Family), a family name accepted by John Kartesz and Fern expert Carl Rothfels. The Flora of North America places Cystopteris in Dryopteridaceae. |
Cystopteris fragilis (Brittlefern) Cystopteridaceae (Wood Fern Family). Synonyms: Woodsiaceae, Athyriaceae, Polypodiaceae, Dryopteridaceae. Foothills to subalpine. Rocks.
Summer. Cystopteris fragilis occurs in many states and is the most common fern at high elevations in the San Juan Mountains and nearby mountains of the Four Corners area. It tucks itself into rock crevices, often fading with summer dryness and reappearing with fall coolness and moisture. At the far left of the top photograph are fronds of Cryptogramma acrostichoides. Linnaeus named this species Polypodium fragile in 1753 from specimens collected in northern Europe. Johann Bernhardi renamed it Cystopteris fragilis in 1806. |
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Cystopteris fragilis (Brittlefern) Cystopteridaceae (Wood Fern Family). Synonyms: Woodsiaceae, Athyriaceae, Polypodiaceae, Dryopteridaceae. Foothills to subalpine. Rocks.
Summer.
Grape-like clusters on the underside of the Cystopteris fragilis leaflets are the sori which contain sporangia which in turn contain spores, the reproductive cells of ferns. |
Cystopteris reevesiana (Reeves' Brittlefern) Foothills to subalpine. Rocks.
Summer. Cystopteris reevesiana and Cystopteris fragilis are very similar, both in their appearance and in their habitat. Weber and the Flora of North America disagree on a number of prominent characteristics that separate the two species but they do agree that C. reevesiana leaflets are more widely spaced and deeply cut, as is shown in the photographs on this page. They also agree that C. reevesiana is found almost exclusively in the Four Corners states. There is agreement that it is common to find the two plants growing very close to one another in rocky montane areas of the Four Corners states. In 1981 David Lellinger named this species for Tim Reeves, Fern expert and Professor at San Juan Community College, Farmington, New Mexico. (Click for more biographical information about Tim Reeves.) |
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Cystopteris reevesiana (Reeves' Brittlefern) Foothills to subalpine. Rocks.
Summer. |
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
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Range map for Cystopteris fragilis Range map for Cystopteris reevesiana |