|
Bracken Fern or Brake Fern
Pteridium aquilinum (Linnaeus)
(ter-ID-i-um a-kwi-LYE-num)
General:
Bracken Fern is the only fern in Florida that is found in full sun and
hot, dry habitats. It forms large patches by means of deep,
underground rhizomes. These creeping stems give the fern the
ability to survive fires. It is more hardy that most other ferns
in Florida.
Bracken fern is toxic to farm animals. They are not likely
to eat it unless it is cut with hay or if there is a shortage of
pasture.
It has been used as a medicinal plant for humans in the past. The
fiddleheads are listed as edible raw or cooked. The rhizomes are
cleaned, dried and roasted for food by Native Americans. They
also use the black roots for weaving baskets and the fronds for
thatching.
The plant’s scientific name, Pteridium, means “wing” and aquilinum
means “eagle.” This possibly refers to the large, 3 parted
triangular frond’s similarity to the feathers of an eagle’s wing.
There are three varieties of P. aquilinum found in Florida, but we will
not try to distinguish them here.
Fruiting Parts:
The spores form on the underside of the fronds. The sori develop
in a continuous line along the margin of the pinnae. They
are protected by the rolled under edges. This is an identifying
characteristic of this species.
|
|
Leaves/Stems:
The fronds are about 1 m. (3-4 ft.) tall and reflex (bend backward)
until the blade is almost horizontal. The blade forks into three
main triangular parts twice divided from the rachis (midrib) with the
apex (upper tip) undivided.
The young leaves are a delicate light green, but as the leaf ages it
turns a dark, dull shade of green. The underground roots are
about the diameter of a pencil and they spread rapidly, sending up
erect fronds.
Distribution:
P. aquilinum is
commonly found on dry, sandy soils throughout Florida. The
species is found from Newfoundland to Wyoming, Arizona and Florida,
with a European species very similar.
|
Photo by Audrey Swindal
|
|
|
|
