bladder fern

noun

any of several ferns of the genus Cystopteris, having pinnate leaves and growing in rocky areas.

Origin of bladder fern

First recorded in 1820–30; so called from the bladderlike indusium

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British Dictionary definitions for bladder fern

bladder fern

noun

a small fern, Cystoperis fragilis, with graceful lanceolate leaves, typically growing on limestone rocks and walls

Word Origin for bladder fern

C19: named from the bladder-shaped indusium

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012