I
Ii
I Iff'
‘I I
f- I
-i,/
the sori while in a young state, but becoming ultimately
reflexed at the point, which is more or less jagged or fringed.
Hence these plants are called Bladder Perns. There are
three native species, of one of which numerous distinct
forms or varieties occur.
The technical name comes from two Greek words, hystos,
and pteris, which respectively mean bladder, and fern ; so
that in this case the English appellation is a literal translation
of the scientific name.
Cy stopteris a l p in a , Besvaux. — Plæ Alpine Bladder-
Pern. (Plate X. fig. 2.)
A diminutive but very elegant plant, quite a gem. It
has a close tufted stem, producing from its crown numerous
bright green fronds, usually four to six inches, but sometimes
as much as ten inches high. These grow up in May,
and die away in autumn. Their form is lanceolate, the
mode of division bipinnate, with the pinnules so deeply pinnatifid
as to render them almost tripinnate. The stipes is
short, smooth, and scaly at the base. The pinnæ are nearly
opposite, with a winged rachis, ovate, divided into bluntly
ovate pinnules, these latter being deeply cleft, almost down
to their midvein, into short, blunt, linear lobes, which are
either entire, or have two or three blunt teeth.
The midvein of the pinnules is nearly straight, with a
venule, simple or divided, branching off to each lobe, one
branch extending to the point of each marginal tooth. The
small roundish sori are rather numerous, but not confluent,
borne near the margin, and covered by a concave membranous
indusium.
This species, which is cultivated like the other species of
Cystopteris without difficulty, has been found (formerly in
abundance, now, we heheve, almost exterminated) on an old
wall at Leyton, in Essex. Indeed, its claim to aboriginality
is strongly suspected, a small, much-divided form of Cystopte
ris fragilis being supposed to have been mistaken for it.
The Scotch and Welsh plants which have been called Cy&to-
pteris alpina are probably open to this objection, but there is
reason to believe the Essex plant to have been genuine; m i
I have fronds of the true plant, communicated by a 1 ern
cultivator, Mr. Shepherd, of Liverpool, whiU, he informs
me, were gathered in Derbyshire and Yorkshire. It occurs
in the alpine parts of southern Europe.
Cystopteris regia is another name for this elegant plant,
which has also been called Cyatliea regia and Cyatliea incisa,
Cystea regia, Polypodium alpinum, Aspidium regium, and
Polypodium trifidum.
f l : :
i k £ .