Pteridium aquilinum

Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn

By Nicolas Umstattd, Native Plants of Arizona 2007
Common names: Western bracken fern, hairy bracken fern, western bracken fern, northern bracken fern (1)
Family: Dennstaedtiaceae(2)
Synonymy: Pteris aquiline Linnaeus, P. aquilinum ssp. Lanuginosum (1)
Etymology: Pteridium: pteron- “feather wing” pteris – “fern” aquilinum: aquil- “eagle” aquilinus-“eagle like. (3)

Identification
Growth form: Perennial, clonal fern. (4)
Roots: Thin, black and brittle, extending from rhizome to 20 inches into soil. (5)
Stem: Long-creeping, horizontal rhizome; scales absent. (4)
Leaves: Fronds 50-200 cm long with erect stem-like petiole shorter than blade. Dark green, course, bipinnatly to tripinnatly compound, broadly triangular. Blade glabrous or sparsely hairy. (6)
Sporangia: Reproduction is via sori on underside of fronds, which are protected by inrolled narrow indusial margin with concealed inner indusium. (4)
Spores: Minute brown spores produced in spore cases in sori. (5)
Similar Species: There is only one species of Pteridium. It is easily recognized by its long creeping rhizomes and large fronds.

Ecology
Life history: Large, coarse, perennial fern. (5)
Native/introduced: native (2)
Photosynthetic pathway:
Phenology: Spores are produced from August to September. (5)
Distribution: 5,000- 10,000 feet.(4)Grows in moist or dry clearings, and open mountain slopes. (7) Arizona: very common at 7,800 feet, Kaibab plateau in Coconino County and White Mountains in Apache County also occurs in Cochise and Pima counties. (8) Nearly cosmopolitan, global distribution with the exception of hot and cold deserts. (5)

Uses: Fiddle heads may be consumed fresh or preserved by salting, pickling, or sun drying. Both fronds and rhizomes have been used in brewing beer. (5)

References:

(1) 1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (IT IS) on-line database. (http://www.itis.gov/index.html)

(2) 2. USDA, NRCS 2007. The PLANTS database, (http://plants.usda.gov/ 11 December 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA

(3) 3. Online Etymology Dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php

(4) 4. Ecological Restoration Institute. Plants of Northern Arizona Forests. A Comprehensive Field Guide for the Mogollon Plateau Coniferous Forest Bioregion in Arizona. Field Testing version 2007

(6) 6. Epple, Anne O. and lewis E. Epple. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Falcon Press Publishing Company. Helena, Montana

(7) 7. Cronquist, Arthur and Noel H. Holmgren and Patricia K. Holmgren. 1997. Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West. Volume 3 part A. New York botanical Garden. Bronx, New York

(8) 8. Kearney, Thomas H. and Robert H. Peebles and collaborators. 1942. Trees and Ferns of Arizona. United States Government Printing Office. Washington DC.

Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn By Nicolas Umstattd, Native Plants of Arizona 2007 Common names: Western bracken fern, hairy bracken fern, western bracken fern, northern bracken fern (1) Family: Dennstaedtiaceae(2) Synonymy: Pteris aquiline Linnaeus, P. aquilinum ssp. Lanuginosum (1) Etymology: Pteridium: pteron- “feather wing” pteris – “fern” aquilinum: aquil- “eagle” aquilinus-“eagle like. (3) Identification Growth form: Perennial, clonal fern. (4) Roots: Thin, black and brittle, extending from rhizome to 20 inches into soil. (5) Stem: Long-creeping, horizontal rhizome; scales absent. (4) Leaves: Fronds 50-200 cm long with erect stem-like petiole shorter than blade. Dark green, course, bipinnatly to tripinnatly compound, broadly triangular. Blade glabrous or sparsely hairy. (6) Sporangia: Reproduction is via sori on underside of fronds, which are protected by inrolled narrow indusial margin with concealed inner indusium. (4) Spores: Minute brown spores produced in spore cases in sori. (5) Similar Species: There is only one species of Pteridium. It is easily recognized by its long creeping rhizomes and large fronds. Ecology Life history: Large, coarse, perennial fern. (5) Native/introduced: native (2) Photosynthetic pathway: Phenology: Spores are produced from August to September. (5) Distribution: 5,000- 10,000 feet.(4)Grows in moist or dry clearings, and open mountain slopes. (7) Arizona: very common at 7,800 feet, Kaibab plateau in Coconino County and White Mountains in Apache County also occurs in Cochise and Pima counties. (8) Nearly cosmopolitan, global distribution with the exception of hot and cold deserts. (5) Uses: Fiddle heads may be consumed fresh or preserved by salting, pickling, or sun drying. Both fronds and rhizomes have been used in brewing beer. (5) References: (1) 1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (IT IS) on-line database. (http://www.itis.gov/index.html) (2) 2. USDA, NRCS 2007. The PLANTS database, (http://plants.usda.gov/ 11 December 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA (3) 3. Online Etymology Dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php (4) 4. Ecological Restoration Institute. Plants of Northern Arizona Forests. A Comprehensive Field Guide for the Mogollon Plateau Coniferous Forest Bioregion in Arizona. Field Testing version 2007 (5) 5. Flora, Fauna, Earth, and Sky, the Natural History of the North Woods. (http://www.Rook.org/index.html) Original Materials Copyright 2002 by Earl J.S. Rook (6) 6. Epple, Anne O. and lewis E. Epple. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Falcon Press Publishing Company. Helena, Montana (7) 7. Cronquist, Arthur and Noel H. Holmgren and Patricia K. Holmgren. 1997. Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West. Volume 3 part A. New York botanical Garden. Bronx, New York (8) 8. Kearney, Thomas H. and Robert H. Peebles and collaborators. 1942. Trees and Ferns of Arizona. United States Government Printing Office. Washington DC.