Bracken

Bracken (Pteridium) is a group of large, rough ferns found all over the world except Antarctica. They grow best in wild, open areas called moorlands and have big, divided leaves called fronds. The word "bracken" comes from old Norse words meaning fern, similar to words still used in languages like Swedish and Danish.

Scientists used to think bracken was just one kind, called Pteridium aquilinum, but now they believe there are about ten different species. Like other ferns, bracken does not grow from seeds. Instead, it makes tiny particles called spores to create new plants.

Young bracken fronds, known as fiddleheads, are sometimes eaten as food. However, it is important to be careful because some of these plants can contain substances that may be harmful.

Description

Bracken is one of the oldest types of ferns. Fossils from the Eocene period show it has been around for about 55 million years. It grows big, triangular leaves called fronds from an underground part called a rootstock. These fronds can grow up to about 8 feet long, but are usually between 2 and 6 and a half feet high. In cold weather, bracken loses its leaves. It grows best on hilly slopes with soil that drains well.

Fern spores, which help the plant grow new, are found under the leaves in special spots called sori. In bracken, these sori line up along the edge of the leaf. This is different from most other ferns, where the sori are in the middle of the leaf.

Species

Here are the different kinds of bracken plants that scientists recognize today:

1. Pteridium aquilinum - found almost everywhere in the world
2. Pteridium arachnoideum - grows in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Galápagos
3. Pteridium caudatum - seen in Mexico, Central and South America, Florida, and the West Indies
4. Pteridium centrali-africanum - lives in Zaire, Zambia, Tanzania, and Burundi
5. Pteridium esculentum - grows in China, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand
6. Pteridium falcatum - found in Guangxi
7. Pteridium feei - grows in Mexico and Central America
8. Pteridium lineare - found in Yunnan
9. Pteridium revolutum - lives in China
10. Pteridium tauricum - grows in the Caucasus
11. Pteridium yunnanense - found in Yunnan

Distribution and habitat

Pteridium aquilinum, also called bracken or common bracken, grows in many parts of the world where the climate is temperate or subtropical. It likes places such as moorlands but does not grow in wet marshes or fens.

In the past, people used bracken for things like animal bedding, making soap, and as a fertiliser. Today, bracken is often seen as a problem because it grows very fast and can take over areas where other plants used to grow. It can be harmful to animals such as cows, dogs, sheep, pigs, and horses, and it may also cause health issues for people. Bracken can spread quickly, covering more land each year. This can hurt wildlife and make it difficult for people to use the land. It is especially common in places like Scotland, Cumbria, the North York Moors, Wales, and southwest England.

Ecology

Bracken is a very tough fern that can live in hard places, like acid soils. It grows quickly and can push away other plants by sending out special chemicals.

Bracken gives shade and keeps things warm and moist, which helps some plants and fungi to grow. For example, some woodland fungi live under bracken, and plants like the common bluebell and wood anemone can do well in these spots.

Control

Managing bracken helps other plants and animals grow. There are several ways to control bracken, but each has challenges. It’s important to pick the right method and keep using it for many years to see results.

Experts suggest cutting the plants often, using machines to crush them, or letting animals like cows and horses walk through the area. Some people use safe sprays to help control bracken, but they must be careful to protect other plants. Letting other plants grow instead of bracken or carefully burning the area can also help. Each method has rules and needs to be done with care.

Uses

Bracken fiddleheads have been eaten in many places. In East Asian cooking, especially in Korea, Japan, and China, bracken is used in dishes like bibimbap and warabimochi.

Bracken has also been used to make potash, a substance needed for making soap and glass. Today, it is sometimes used as bedding for animals, which later turns into rich mulch for the soil.

Toxicity

Bracken has special chemicals that can be bad for animals and people. If animals eat bracken when there is no other food, it can make them sick. This is especially true for cows, and even their milk might have harmful chemicals.

For humans, eating bracken has been linked to health problems, especially where bracken grows a lot. Some ways, like soaking and cooking, can help remove these harmful chemicals before eating. But it is best to avoid eating bracken.

Uncooked bracken can also take away an important vitamin called thiamine (vitamin B1) from food, which can cause health issues in some animals.

Young bracken fronds can release a chemical that harms insects, making them shed their skin too many times and die. Scientists are studying bracken to see if it can help create natural ways to protect plants from pests.

Archaeology

Many places have old remains from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages up to the Industrial Revolution. The roots of bracken plants can damage these sites by breaking up the soil layers. These roots grow deep underground and make up most of the plant.

In culture

In the north of England, people call bracken "Moorland Scrub."

A creature in the 2023 video game Lethal Company is named after the bracken plant.