Bracken

About

Bracken (Pteridium) is a genus of large, cosmopolitan, coarse ferns in the family Dennstaedtiaceae. Brackens are noted for their large, highly divided fronds and are found on all continents except Antarctica; their typical habitat is moorland. The word bracken is of Old Norse origin, related to Swedish bräkencode: swe promoted to code: sv and Danish bregne, both meaning fern. In the past, the genus was commonly treated as having only one species, Pteridium aquilinum, but the current trend is to subdivide it into about ten species. Like other ferns, brackens reproduce by spores rather than seeds or fruit. The immature fronds, known as fiddleheads, are sometimes eaten, although some contain carcinogenic compounds.

How to spot it

Bracken is one of the oldest ferns, with fossil records from the Eocene period 55 million years old having been found. The plant sends up large, triangular fronds from a wide-creeping underground rootstock, and may form dense thickets. This rootstock may travel a metre or more underground between fronds. The fronds may grow up to 2.5 m (8 ft) long or longer with support, but typically are in the range of 0.6–2 m (2–6+1⁄2 ft) high.

Documented on these trails

Found in

• Namadgi National Park — Canberra & Namadgi National Park hikes