Species
Pteridium esculentum
Etymology
Pteridium: like Pteris; a fern known to the ancient Greeks; from the Greek pteris
esculentum: edible; from the Latin esca and edere; in recognition of its value to the maori as a food plant
Common Name(s)
bracken, rarauhe, bracken fern
Current Conservation Status
2012 - Not Threatened
Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB
Previous Conservation Status
2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened
Authority
Pteridium esculentum (G. Forst.) Cockayne
Family
Dennstaedtiaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
PTEESC
The
National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
Structural Class
Ferns
Synonyms
Pteridium aquilinum var. esculentum (G.Forst.) Kuhn
Distribution
Indigenous: New Zealand: Kermadec (Raoul Island only), North, South, Stewart, Chatham and Antipodes Islands. Also South East Asia, Australia, Lord Howe, Norfolk Islands extending into western Oceania.
Habitat
Common in mainly seral habitats from the coast to the low alpine zone.
Features
Fern with deeply rooted, subterranean rhizomes. Stipes and rachis chestnut brown at base, yellow-brown to russet at apex, woody, grooved, smooth, bearing sparse non-glandular hairs or ± glabrous stipe 0.2-1.3(-2.0) m or more long, 3-8(-15) mm diameter, woody. Lamina broadly elliptic or broadly ovate, 0.25-1.5-1.8 × 0.2-1.0-1.4 m wide, 3-4-pinnate at base, dark green (often glaucescent) above, paler beneath, adaxially glabrous, abaxially with sparse red-brown hairs on midribs and dense colourless appressed non-glandular hairs along veins. Longest pinnae arising at narrow angles; longest 150-650 × 80-400 mm. Secondary pinnae arising at narrow angles; longest 50-260 × 15-130 mm; basal one often much-reduced; midribs of primary and secondary pinnae narrowly winged. Tertiary pinnae decreasing markedly in length along secondary pinnae; longest 7-70 × 2-20 mm, with winged midribs. Quaternary pinnae to 12 × 4 mm; ultimate pinnules linear, straight, acute, entire, adnate and decurrent on 1 side. Sori continuous along pinna margin. Indusium > 0.2 mm wide, membranous, entire, glabrous. Spores dark yellow to orange yellow., granulose.
Similar Taxa
A distinctive species which could not be confused with any other indigenous, naturalised or exotic fern present in New Zealand.
Flowering
None (spore bearing)
Flower Colours
No Flowers
Fruiting
None (spore bearing)
Propagation Technique
Despite its weedy nature this species is actually surprisingly difficult to grow from spores and/or transplants of young or mature plants. Best results seem to be from plants which spontaneously arise as pot contaminants within nurseries.
Threats
Not Threatened.
Chromosome No.
2n = 104
Endemic Taxon
No
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
Where To Buy
Rarely if ever, deliberately cultivated. Does not appear to be commercially available.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 11 January 2011. Description adapted from Brownsey (1998) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
References and further reading
Brownsey, P.J. 1998: Dennstaedtiaceae: Flora of Australia 48: 214-228.
Brownsey, P.J.; Smith-Dodsworth, J.C. 2000: New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. Auckland, David Bateman
This page last updated on 13 Jan 2014