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  4. Pteridium esculentum

Pteridium esculentum

Wellington.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 28/10/1984, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Wellington.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 28/10/1984, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Stokes Valley.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 03/06/2007, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Catlins, December.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Hawea.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Hawea.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Hawea.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Awhitu Regional Park, Auckland region.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Mt Karioi, south of Raglan.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Date taken: 01/07/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Emerging frond, Stokes Valley.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 13/11/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common name

bracken, rarauhe, bracken fern

Synonyms

Pteridium aquilinum var. esculentum (G.Forst.) Kuhn

Family

Dennstaedtiaceae

Authority

Pteridium esculentum (G. Forst.) Cockayne

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

No

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Ferns

NVS code

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.

PTEESC

Chromosome number

2n = 104

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.

2012 | Not Threatened

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

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.

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

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

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pteridium esculentum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pteridium-esculentum/ (Date website was queried)

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