Cystopteris protrusa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cystopteris protrusa
Cystopteris protrusa fronds
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Suborder:	Aspleniineae
Family:	Cystopteridaceae
Genus:	Cystopteris
Species:	C. protrusa
Binomial name
Cystopteris protrusa (Weatherby) Blasdell
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The lowland bladderfern (Cystopteris protrusa) is a common fern found across North America. People also call it the lowland brittle fern or lowland fragile fern.

This fern grows naturally in eastern Canada. You can also find it in the Midwestern and Eastern United States. In many of these areas, it is the most common type of Cystopteris fern.

About the Lowland Bladderfern

Unlike most ferns in its group, the lowland bladderfern only grows on land. It often forms large, thick groups of plants.

This fern is mostly a "spring ephemeral." This means it appears in spring. Most of its leafy fronds disappear by late summer.

The name "protrusa" describes a special feature of this fern. Its underground stem, called a rhizome, sticks out a little bit. This part forms the leaf buds for the next year's fronds. This sticking-out rhizome is a helpful way to identify the plant in nature.

The fern's spore cases are called sori. These sori are round. They are covered by a bladder-like flap called an indusium.

How it's Related to Other Ferns

For a while, Cystopteris protrusa was thought to be just a type of Cystopteris fragilis. But now we know it's a distinct species.

C. protrusa is a basic type of fern. Other related ferns, like C. fragilis, are more complex. They might have come from different parent plants.

C. protrusa is also a parent to other fern species. These include Cystopteris tennesseensis and Cystopteris tenuis.