Plant Listings

Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn

Common Names: Bracken Fern, Southern Bracken

Family: Dennstaediaceae

Habit: Pteridium aquilinum grows from a rhizome that is up to 7 mm wide. The rhizome is covered with lance shaped, brown scales with ciliate margins. The fronds are arranged alternately, to 3 meters in length and pinnately dissected 4-6 levels, each level triangular in outline. The abaxial surface of the fronds is covered with scales of varying shapes and sizes (deltoid-round-peltate-acuminate).

The sporangia occur in marginal sori that are on the middle and upper frond lobes.

Habitat: Pteridium aquilinum in Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formations- Shrubland (Coppice), Pine Woodlands and Human Altered environments.

Distribution in Bahamas/Globally: Pteridium aquilinum occurs throughout the Bahamian Archipelago as well as temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of the world.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Pteridium aquilinum is not used medicinally in the Bahamas.