Participant Info

Species

Cystopteris fragilis [Athyrium fragile] [Cyclopteris fragilis] [Cystea fragilis] etc.

Family

Cyctoperidaceae

CommonName

brittle fern, brittle bladder-fern, common fragile fern

Presence

yes

Status

native

EarliestDate

1945

LatestDate

2024

Ecosystem

foothill, montane, subalpine, tundra

Geobotanical

SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos, LBasin

Counties

Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, Archuleta, San Juan

Passes

Elwood, Spring Creek, Wolf Creek

WildlifePreserves

Other Localities

La Botica

PhotoRecords

YES Richard Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Middle San Francisco Creek trailhead 31 July 2016

Comments

Easily common fragile fern has been the most frequently collected fern from the Watershed. Cystopteris fragilis can be found in all mountain ranges in Its habitat, which is moist crevices in cliffs or outcrops, and sometimes among rock in talus slopes. Cystopteris fragiles (which is not at all fragile or brittle) is nearly omnipresent in all Western USA states, as well as across the northern third of the nation. It follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico but not on into Texas.

Annotation