Cystopteris dickieana
Encyclopedia
Cystopteris dickieana commonly known as Dickie's Bladder-fern is a fern
with a wide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere
. There is debate amongst botanists as to whether it is a species in its own right or a variant of C. fragilis
.
and the United States
, a variety of European countries
including Russia
and also north Africa
and the Andes
. It is typically found in montane
habitats below the tree-line, although it is also grows at lower altitudes in locations with cool summers.
, Aberdeen
in Scotland
. Knight came across a small population growing on base-rich rocks in a sea cave (known locally as a "yawn") on the coast of Kincardineshire
. The first publication to record it was the 1838 Flora Aberdonenis which included a note of its occurrence written by a pupil of Knight's, George Dickie. Dickie also sent a live specimen to Robert Sim, a nurseryman from Kent
, who believed it to be a new species and published his views in the 1848 edition of the Gardener's and Farmer's Journal, naming it C. dickieana.
Rarer British ferns came under severe threat from Victorian
fern collectors in the mid 19th century in Scotland, a period of collecting that became known as Pteridomania
(or "fern-fever"). In 1860 Dickie reported that the original colony had been extirpated from the yawn where its original discovery had occurred. The evidence for this is conflicting, but today there is a population of more than 100 plants there, where it grows in a roof fissure in the company of Athyrium filix-femina
and Dryopteris dilatata
.
is complex. Within a year of Sim's publication Thomas Moore
stated his view was that, on balance, Dickie's Bladder-fern was a variety of C. fragilis. Various opinions have been published over the intervening years, with a consensus that C. dickeana was a separate species emerging in the 1930s, although recent research suggests that Moore's caution may have been appropriate. C. dickeana has broader, less divided and more closely spaced pinna
e than C. fragilis and the spores of the former are typically wrinkled and ridged rather than the spiny form of the latter's. However, there are significant variations within the populations of both forms and these characteristics are by no means fixed. On the other hand there is also evidence that crosses of the two types produce sterile hybrids.
The treatment of Cystopteris in the Flora of North America (1993) regards Cystopteris dickieana as a synonym of Cystopteris fragilis.
.
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
with a wide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
. There is debate amongst botanists as to whether it is a species in its own right or a variant of C. fragilis
Cystopteris
Cystopteris is a genus of ferns. These are known generally as bladderferns or fragile ferns. They are found in temperate areas worldwide. This is a very diverse genus and within a species individuals can look quite different, especially in harsh environments where they experience stress and remain...
.
Distribution
C. dickieana is native to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a variety of European countries
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
including Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and also north Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. It is typically found in montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
habitats below the tree-line, although it is also grows at lower altitudes in locations with cool summers.
Discovery and Victorian collectors
The first recorded discovery of the plant was made by William Knight, Professor of Natural Philosophy at Marischal CollegeMarischal College
Marischal College is a building and former university in the centre of the city of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland. The building is owned by the University of Aberdeen and used for ceremonial events...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Knight came across a small population growing on base-rich rocks in a sea cave (known locally as a "yawn") on the coast of Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
. The first publication to record it was the 1838 Flora Aberdonenis which included a note of its occurrence written by a pupil of Knight's, George Dickie. Dickie also sent a live specimen to Robert Sim, a nurseryman from Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, who believed it to be a new species and published his views in the 1848 edition of the Gardener's and Farmer's Journal, naming it C. dickieana.
Rarer British ferns came under severe threat from Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
fern collectors in the mid 19th century in Scotland, a period of collecting that became known as Pteridomania
Pteridomania
Pteridomania or Fern-Fever was a craze for ferns. Victorian decorative arts presented the fern motif in pottery, glass, metal, textiles, wood, printed paper, and sculpture, with ferns "appearing on everything from christening presents to gravestones and memorials."-Description:Pteridomania, meaning...
(or "fern-fever"). In 1860 Dickie reported that the original colony had been extirpated from the yawn where its original discovery had occurred. The evidence for this is conflicting, but today there is a population of more than 100 plants there, where it grows in a roof fissure in the company of Athyrium filix-femina
Athyrium filix-femina
Athyrium filix-femina is a large, feathery species of fern native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, where it is often abundant in damp, shady woodland environments and is often grown for decoration.The plant is caespitose Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern or Common Lady-fern)...
and Dryopteris dilatata
Dryopteris
Dryopteris , commonly called wood ferns, male ferns, and buckler ferns, is a genus of about 250 species of ferns with distribution in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in eastern Asia. Many of the species have stout, slowly creeping rootstocks that form a crown,...
.
Taxonomic controversy
Taxonomic classification within the genus CystopterisCystopteris
Cystopteris is a genus of ferns. These are known generally as bladderferns or fragile ferns. They are found in temperate areas worldwide. This is a very diverse genus and within a species individuals can look quite different, especially in harsh environments where they experience stress and remain...
is complex. Within a year of Sim's publication Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore (botanist)
Thomas Moore was a gardener and botanist from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. An expert on ferns and fern allies from the British Isles, he served as Curator of the Society of Apothecaries Garden from 1848 to 1887...
stated his view was that, on balance, Dickie's Bladder-fern was a variety of C. fragilis. Various opinions have been published over the intervening years, with a consensus that C. dickeana was a separate species emerging in the 1930s, although recent research suggests that Moore's caution may have been appropriate. C. dickeana has broader, less divided and more closely spaced pinna
Pinna
In animal anatomy, the pinna is the visible part of the ear that resides outside of the head ....
e than C. fragilis and the spores of the former are typically wrinkled and ridged rather than the spiny form of the latter's. However, there are significant variations within the populations of both forms and these characteristics are by no means fixed. On the other hand there is also evidence that crosses of the two types produce sterile hybrids.
The treatment of Cystopteris in the Flora of North America (1993) regards Cystopteris dickieana as a synonym of Cystopteris fragilis.
Conservation
In the UK the fern's natural population is entirely confined to Scotland, where it is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...
.
