Plants › bracken family
common bracken
Pteridium aquilinum
31 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Easily confused with
pinewood brackenPteridium pinetorum
lady fernAthyrium filix-femina
Southern BrackenfernPteridium caudatum
eastern brackenfernPteridium latiusculum
coastal woodfernDryopteris arguta
northern lady fernAthyrium angustum
hay-scented fernDennstaedtia punctilobula
Austral BrackenPteridium esculentum
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| Alaska | 304,065 |
|---|---|
| United States | 52,966 |
| Canada | 22,334 |
| California | 11,171 |
| British Columbia | 11,036 |
| Ontario | 6,439 |
| United Kingdom | 5,984 |
| Washington | 4,865 |
| England | 4,794 |
| Michigan | 3,535 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Group and habits
- Human edibleListed as edible by a harvested source. This is a research trait, not foraging advice.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Toxic to humansListed as toxic or not suitable as food for humans by a harvested source.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Medicinal useListed as having medicinal use by a harvested source. This is not medical advice.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Material useListed as being used for materials such as wood, fiber, resin, gum, or oil.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Crop wild relativeListed as a crop wild relative or crop gene source by a harvested source.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Cultural useListed as having cultural uses such as ritual, religious, psychoactive, contraceptive, abortifacient, smoking, or masticatory uses.Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species
- Forb or herb growth formListed by a harvested source as having a forb or herbaceous growth form.USDA PLANTS Characteristics
- Fern growth formListed by a harvested source as belonging to the fern plant group.USDA PLANTS Characteristics
- Perennial plantListed by a harvested source as having a perennial life duration.USDA PLANTS Characteristics
Edibility, toxicity and medicinal traits are records from datasets, not advice. Never eat, handle or use a wild species on the strength of an app.
Classification
| Kingdom | Plants · Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Vascular Plants · Tracheophyta |
| Class | Ferns · Polypodiopsida |
| Order | Polypodiales |
| Family | bracken family · Dennstaedtiaceae |
| Genus | brackens · Pteridium |
Study it in a deck
- Edible in Baltimore County
- Edible plants of Glacier National Park, Montana, Bulgaria
- Medicinal Plants of Baltimore County
- Native Plants of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Plants of Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
- Plants of Richmond city, Virginia, United States
- Survival in Maryland
- Trees of Maryland
Or build your own from the species near you.
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- Traits: Kew World Checklist of Useful Plant Species (CC BY 4.0)
- Traits: USDA PLANTS Characteristics (U.S. Government work / public domain)
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise common bracken with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.