THE FERN PARADISE. 



L 



THE BEITTLE BLADDER FERN. 



Cystopteris fmgilis. 



PLATE 4, FIG. 1. 



1HE Fragile or Brittle Bladder Fern is or- 

 dinarily seen about six inches in height; 

 but it sometimes grows to the height of 

 a foot or more. The frond-stem is tender, herba- 

 ceous, and very brittle, having just a few light- 

 coloured scales at its base. The fronds grow from 

 a tufted root-stock, and come up in clusters ; the 

 crown of the root-stock spreading to admit of this. 

 The shape of the frond is lance-like, slightly smaller 

 at the base than in the centre, and tapering gra- 

 dually to a point at the top. The lowest pair of 

 branches on the rachis is shorter than the pair 

 immediately above it ; but from that pair to the 

 point of the frond the successive pairs gradually 

 diminish in length. The pairs of branches on 

 each side of the frond are not placed exactly oppo- 

 site one another, but according to a somewhat 



320 



