| Author | Murphy, R.J. & Rumsey, F.J. |
| Year | 2005 |
| Title | Cystopteris diaphana (Bory) Blasdell (Woodsiaceae) - an overlooked native new to the British Isles? |
| Type | Paper |
| How Complete | All the British species known from the genus. |
| Source | Watsonia Vol 25 (3): 255-263. |
| Illustrations | Line drawing of frond, electron micrographs of spores. |
| Review (by Malcolm Storey) | Cystopteris diaphana reported new to the British Isles from Cornwall. Initially it was thought to be C. fragilis. It is uncertain whether this is a long-standing escape or overlooked native. A revised key to British species of the genus is given, and electron micrographs of spores are shown. |
| Examine |  Compound Microscope |
| Specimen Preparation | Take care to check mature spores (immature spores and abortive spores from hybrids, can be misleading) |
| Identification difficulty | Microscopy is really only needed to eliminate C. dickieana, a very rare Scottish species. Since C. dickieana is a legally protected species, it would be illegal to examine its spores without a permit. |
