Q258034
Sign in to saveBracken (Pteridium) is a genus of large, cosmopolitan, coarse ferns in the family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that undergo alternation of generations, having both large plants (sporophytes) that produce spores and small plants (gametophytes) that produce sex cells (eggs and sperm) in its life cycle. Brackens are noted for their large, highly divided leaves. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, though their typical habitat is moorland. The genus probably has the widest distribution of any fern in the world.
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Description
- Species
- Distribution and habitat
- Ecology
- Fungal associations
- Other plant associations
- Uses
- Food
- Source of potash
- Others
- Toxicity
- In animals
- In insects
- Archaeology
- Control
- In culture
- See also
- References
- External links
Bracken (Pteridium) is a genus of large, cosmopolitan, coarse ferns in the family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that undergo alternation of generations, having both large plants (sporophytes) that produce spores and small plants (gametophytes) that produce sex cells (eggs and sperm) in its life cycle. Brackens are noted for their large, highly divided leaves. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, though their typical habitat is moorland. The genus probably has the widest distribution of any fern in the world.
The word bracken is of Old Norse origin, related to Swedish bräken and Danish bregne, both meaning fern. In the past, the genus was commonly treated as having only one species, Pteridium aquilinum, but the recent trend is to subdivide it into about ten species.