bladder fern

9.9

A fern with delicate leaves and a hood that covers its spore clusters

noun
/ˈblædər fɜrn/

Specialized

: helecho de vejiga

The bladder fern thrives in moist, shaded areas.

Examples

I found a bladder fern growing near the stream.
She found a patch of bladder ferns growing along the damp stream bank.
Botanists distinguish bladder fern by its delicate fronds and distinctive bladderlike indusium.
The woods behind their house were thick with bladder fern and moss.
Botanists distinguish bladder fern by its delicate fronds and distinctive bladderlike indusium.
I found a bladder fern growing near the stream.
The bladder fern thrives in moist, shaded areas.

Synonyms

fern

vsbladder fern

54 1.3

A plant with feathery leaves that has no flowers and makes spores

refers to a specific genus defined by a hooded membrane on the spore clusters

Cystopteris

vsbladder fern

Specialized

9.9

A small fern with thin lacy leaves that grows among rocks

highlights a hooded membrane covering the spore clusters as defining trait

Surface Forms

bladder fern singular

bladder ferns plural

Morphology

bladder + fern

The compound is fully compositional: 'fern' names the plant and 'bladder' describes a bladder-like structure, so the meaning (a fern with a bladderlike indusium covering the sori) is directly inferable from the constituents. Botanical naming patterns that combine descriptive nouns are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand this sense.

Etymology

Bladder fern gets its name from a small hood that looks like a tiny bladder covering the fern's spore clusters. That's why people call it a bladder fern.