Utah Bladderfern

Cystopteris utahensis, commonly called the Utah bladderfern is a rare species of fern found in canyons and on sheltered cliff faces with calcareous rocks. It mainly grows on the Colorado Plateau in the western United States, but is also found in a few locations in southern New Mexico and an adjacent area of Texas. Studies of its genetics show that it originates from a natural hybrid of the species Cystopteris bulbifera and Cystopteris reevesiana.