Bracken
Brackens are a genus of about ten species of large, coarse
ferns, in the family Hypolepidaceae. The genus has probably the widest distribution of any fern genus in the world, being found on all continents except
Antarctica and in all environments except for hot and cold deserts. In the past, the genus was commonly treated as having only one species,
Pteridium aquilinum, but the recent trend is to subdivide it into several species.
Evolutionarily, bracken may be considered to be one of the most successful ferns. The plant sends up large, triangular fronds from a wide-creeping underground rootstock, and may form dense thickets.
Encyclopedia
Brackens are a genus of about ten species of large, coarse
ferns, in the family Hypolepidaceae. The genus has probably the widest distribution of any fern genus in the world, being found on all continents except
Antarctica and in all environments except for hot and cold deserts. In the past, the genus was commonly treated as having only one species,
Pteridium aquilinum, but the recent trend is to subdivide it into several species.
Evolutionarily, bracken may be considered to be one of the most successful ferns. The plant sends up large, triangular fronds from a wide-creeping underground rootstock, and may form dense thickets. This rootstock may travel a metre or more underground between fronds. The fronds may grow up to 2.5 m long or longer with support, but typically are in the range of 0.6-2 m high. In cold environments bracken is winter-
deciduous, and, as it requires well-drained
soil, is generally found growing on the sides of hills.
Brackens are used as food plants by the
larvae of some
Lepidoptera species including Dot Moth,
Gold Swift, Map-winged Swift, Orange Swift and Small Angle Shades.
Pteridium aquilinum is the most common species with a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring in temperate and subtropical regions throughout much of the world, including most of
Europe,
Asia, and
North America in the
Northern Hemisphere, and
Australia,
New Zealand and northern
South America in the
Southern Hemisphere. It is a prolific and abundant plant in the highlands of
British Isles. It causes such a problem of invading pastureland that at one time the
British government had an eradication program. Special filters have even been used on some British water supplies to filter out the bracken
spores.
It is a herbaceous
perennial plant, deciduous in winter. The
fronds are produced singly from an underground
rhizome, and grow to 1-3 m tall; the main stem is up to 1 cm diameter at the base.
The plant is carcinogenic, and communities where the young stems are used as a
vegetable have some of the highest
stomach cancer rates in the world . The
spores have also been implicated as a carcinogen.
The word bracken is of
Old Norse origin, related to the Swedish word
bräken, meaning fern.
Uses
Bracken
fiddleheads have been considered edible by many cultures throughout history, and are still commonly used today as a foodstuff. Bracken fiddleheads are either consumed fresh or preserved by salting, pickling, or sun drying. In Korea, where they are called
gosari namul , they are a typical ingredient in the mixed rice dish called
bibimbap.
Both
fronds and
rhizomes have been used to brew
beer, and the rhizome starch has been used as a substitute for
arrowroot. Bread can be made out of dried and powered rhizomes alone or with other
flour.
American Indians cooked the rhizomes, then peeled and ate them or pounded the starchy fiber into flour. In
Japan, starch from the rhizomes is used to make confections.
The
Maori of
New Zealand used the rhizomes of
P. esculentum as a staple food, especially for exploring or hunting groups away from permanent settlements; much of the widespread distribution of this species in present-day New Zealand is in fact a consequence of prehistoric deforestation and subsequent tending of
aruhe stands on rich soils . The rhizomes were air-dried so that they could be stored and became lighter; for consumption, they were briefly heated and then softened with a
patu aruhe ; the starch could then be sucked from the fibers by each diner, or collected if it was to be prepared for a larger feast.
Patu aruhe were significant items and several distinct styles were developed
Bracken has also been used as a form of
herbal remedy. Powdered rhizome has been considered particularly effective against parasitic worms. American Indians ate raw rhizomes as a remedy for bronchitis.
Bracken has been shown to be carcinogenic and is thought to be an important cause of the high incidence of
stomach cancer in Japan, where it is eaten as a vegetable. It is currently under investigation as a possible source of new insecticides.
Besides causing cancer, uncooked bracken conatins the
enzyme thiaminase, which breaks down
thiamine. Thus, eating excessive quantities of bracken can also cause beriberi, especially in creatures with simple-stomachs.
Ruminants are less vulnerable because they synthesize thiamine.
Bracken in popular culture
Last of the Summer Wine, written by Roy Clarke [i], is a British [i] television [i] sitcom [i] ...
, a British television
sitcom, frequently featured scenes of the characters walking through bracken thickets.
References
- McGlone, Matt S. et al. : An ecological and historical review of bracken in New Zealand, and its cultural significance. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 28:165-184
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External links
See also
