austral bracken
Pteridium esculentum (G.Forst.) Cockayne
Pteridium esculentum, known as austral bracken, is a bracken fern species in the Dennstaedtiaceae family. It is native to various regions in the Southern Hemisphere, including Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and parts of Southeast Asia. The plant's rhizome was historically consumed as a staple food by Indigenous peoples in New Zealand and Australia.
Description
Pteridium esculentum is a member of the genus Pteridium and is distributed across several countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Southeast Asia. It is known for its rhizome, which was traditionally consumed by Māori and Indigenous Australian communities. However, it contains the carcinogen ptaquiloside. The species was first described in 1908 by Cockayne, based on earlier work by G.Forst.
Other common names
bracken fernaustral brackencommon bracken
Distribution
BR · Antipodean Is. · Argentina Northeast · Argentina Northwest · Bolivia · Borneo · Brazil Northeast · Brazil North · Brazil Southeast · Brazil South · Brazil West-Central · Cambodia · Chatham Is. · China Southeast · Colombia · Ecuador · Fiji · French Guiana · Guyana · Hainan · Jawa · Kermadec Is. · Lesser Sunda Is. · Maluku · New Caledonia · New Guinea · New South Wales · New Zealand North · New Zealand South · Norfolk Is.
Synonyms
Pteridium aquilinum subsp. esculentum
