Pteridium aquilinum, commonly called bracken, brake, pasture brake, common bracken, and also known as eagle fern, is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions in both hemispheres. Originally native to Eurasia and North America, the extreme lightness of its spores has led to it achieving a cosmopolitan distribution. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with large, triangular fronds that grow from an underground rhizome.
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Is it poisonous?
Considered toxic. Public sources list it as such; we have not verified this individually. Carcinogenic to humans and animals such as mice, rats, horses, and cattle when ingested. The carcinogenic compound is ptaquiloside or PTQ, which can leach from the plant into the water supply, which may explain an… Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
Classification
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Polypodiopsida
- Order
- Polypodiales
- Family
- Dennstaedtiaceae
- Genus
- Pteridium
- Species
- Pteridium aquilinum
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