Cystopteris laurentiana


Cystopteris laurentiana, commonly called Laurentian bladderfern or St. Lawrence bladderfern, is a species of fern in the family Cystopteridaceae. It is native to eastern North America, primarily in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands, but there are also scattered occurrences in New England and Atlantic Canada. It grows on cliffs composed of calcareous rocks, such as limestone, dolostone and diabase.

Taxonomy

Cystopteris laurentiana is a fertile allohexaploid hybrid between C. bulbifera and C. fragilis. The scientific name is therefore sometimes written as C. × laurentiana, which denotes hybrid origin.