Pteridium aquilinum var. esculentum

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.

Description

A fern. It grows on land. The rhizome is long and creeping. It is covered with fine pale brown hairs. The fronds are large. They are divided 3-4 times. The lowest pair of leaflets are larger than the others. The young leaves curl like a fiddle-head before they unfold. The spore bodies are around the edge. Now Pteridium esculentum

Edible Uses

The young tender fronds (fiddleheads) are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Underground stems and roots have been eaten as a famine food, roasted and ground into flour.

Traditional Uses

The young tender fronds (fiddleheads) are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The underground stems or roots have been eaten as a famine food. They can be roasted and ground into flour. CAUTION: The young fronds contain a cancer causing substance called ptaquiloside. Cooking or blanching may remove this but normally bracken should not be eaten regularly.

Medicinal Uses

P. aquilinum has been investigated for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. In Finnish traditional medicine, bracken has been used as a remedy in many ways: Elias Lönnrot advised to use a powder made of the plant's roots to drive away maggots. A decoction made of bracken was used to treat stomach problems, gout and joint pain. The leaves have been used as filling in mattresses, because it was believed to lessen rheumatic pain and drive away vermin.

Known Hazards

The plant contains the carcinogenic compound ptaquiloside. Ptaquiloside is known to cause haemorrhagic diseases in ruminants, tumours and haematological problems in non-ruminants, and is correlated with oesophageal and gastric cancer in humans. Chronic bracken consumption is also associated with upper digestive tract (UDT) squamous cell carcinomas in cattle (ruminants)—with the most aggressive and serious tumors located in the caudal (lower) UDT. High stomach cancer rates are found in Japan and North Wales, where the young stems are used as a vegetable, but it is unknown whether bracken plays any part or if the cancer can be attributed to another cause. Consumption of ptaquiloside-contaminated milk is thought to contribute to human gastric cancer in the Andean states of Venezuela. The spores have also been implicated as carcinogens. Consumption of contaminated water and meat may be dangerous as well. However, ptaquiloside is water-soluble, and is reduced by soaking bracken in cool water. Korean and Japanese cooks have traditionally soaked the shoots in water and ash to detoxify the plant before eating. Ptaquiloside also degenerates at room temperature, which explains why the rat studies were done with the toxin stored at −20 °C (−4 °F). At boiling temperature, the carcinogen denatures almost completely. Salt and baking soda also help with volatilizing the chemical. It has been suggested that selenium supplementation can prevent as well as reverse the immunotoxic effects induced by ptaquiloside from Pteridium aquilinum.

Distribution

A temperate plant. In Nepal it grows between 1200-3400 m altitude. In southern China it grows at about 1,000 m above sea level. It grows in open, damp hillsides. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, China, Congo DR, East Africa, East Timor, Eswatini, Europe, Fiji, France, Gabon, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Madagascar, Malaysia, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, North America, Pacific, Philippines, Samoa, SE Asia, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Worldwide,

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It has been used as a minor food in many countries. It is still used significantly in Japan and Korea. It is available imported in Chinese stores in Australia.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Adlerfarn, Bujad, Felce aquilina, Gougere aigle, Isili, Kosari, Lilele, Pako shida, Pako, Phak kuut, Sawarabi, Zenmai

References (28)

• Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 500 (As Pteridium aquilinum var. esculentum)
• Andrews, S.B., 1990, Ferns of Queensland. A handbook to the ferns and fern allies. Queensland DPI p 131
• Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 219
• Chaetopt. 27. 1882
• "Chinese Nutrition Journal", 2002, Vol 23(8) p 298 (As Petridium aquilinum L.)

More from Dennstaedtiaceae

Monachosorum henryi

Pteridium aquilinum

Pteridium aquilinum var. africanum

Bracken fern tips

Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum

Eastern bracken

Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens

Hairy bracken fern

Pteridium caudatum

Southern bracken fern