Publication: Neues J. Bot. 1(2): 26, plate 2, fig. 9. 1806.

Origin: Native

Herbarium search: CPNWH

Notes: FNA2: "Especially in the western portion of its North American range (British Columbia, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California), Cystopteris fragilis appears to be developing morphologically and ecologically distinctive variants. Hybrid individuals with aborted spores have been discovered, and plants from these areas increasingly tend to grow on both soil and rock and to have slightly different morphologies on the two substrates. These variants intergrade, however, and are not sufficiently distinct to warrant species status. This polymorphic polyploid is probably actively speciating at the tetraploid level, perhaps through gene silencing (C. R. Werth and M. D. Windham 1991)."

Last updated 5/20/2023 by David Giblin.