Contains 2 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
Though sometimes eaten, bracken fern contains ptaquiloside, a carcinogenic terpene glycoside (Hirono et al. 1984) that can damage DNA (Tourchi-Roudsari 2014) and increase the risk of gastrointestinal tract cancers (Nagaraja & Eslick 2015). Ptaquiloside can be present in animal milk (Virgilio et al. 2015).
Classification
Citation
PTERIDIUM Gleditsch ex Scopoli, Fl. Carniol. 169. 1760, nom. cons.
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TYPE: Pteridium aquilinum (Linnaeus) Kuhn (Pteris aquilina Linnaeus)
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pteridium latiusculum | Eastern Bracken | |||
| Pteridium pseudocaudatum | Southern Bracken |
Identification Key
1. Plants to ca. 2.5 m tall; ultimate leaf segments mostly 5-24 times longer than wide, 1-4(-6.5) mm wide, often appearing widely spaced;
1. Plants to ca. 1 m tall; ultimate leaf segments mostly 2-8.5 times longer than wide, mostly 3-8 mm wide, mostly appearing closely spaced
2
2. Leaf segment margins sparsely to densely pubescent
2. Leaf segment margins glabrous, rarely sparsely pilose
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| No synonyms found. | |||