{"id":615,"date":"2020-07-06T15:36:52","date_gmt":"2020-07-06T22:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol223\/?page_id=615"},"modified":"2020-07-13T13:42:32","modified_gmt":"2020-07-13T20:42:32","slug":"pteridium-aquilinum","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol223\/pteridium-aquilinum\/","title":{"rendered":"Pteridium aquilinum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Family: Dennstaedtiaceae<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common name: Bracken fern<\/p>\n\n\n\n

E-flora BC: https:\/\/linnet.geog.ubc.ca\/Atlas\/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Pteridium%20aquilinum<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wikipedia: https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pteridium_aquilinum<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bracken fern is distributed around the world, occurring almost everywhere except for in tropical and arctic regions. In our region, it tolerates a range of habitats and is often a bit weedy in nature. It tends to invade clearcuts and other open or disturbed sites. In moist sites, individual fronds (leaves) can grow to several meters tall, in dry sites, leaves might be around 40 cm tall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The general impression of bracken fern is usually light-green, fluffy foliage – feathery leaflets borne on slender leaf-stalks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A dense stand of bracken fern. Photo credit: Bjorn S via Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Tall specimens of bracken fern in a moist, favourable site. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Individual compound leaves of bracken fern are triangular in shape. Note the broad base and narrowing toward the top: <\/p>\n\n\n\n