Herbal Database Search Results
Back
to: Pathways Main Search
Page For Metaphysical uses
visit The Witchs Haven
Pteridium aquilinum esculentum
| Common name: |
Bracken |
Family: |
Polypodiaceae |
| Author: |
G.Forst. |
Botanical references: |
44, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Pteridium esculentum (G.Forst.) |
| Known Hazards: |
There are a number of reports regarding the possible health risks of this plant. The huge quantity of spores released by large areas of bracken are suggested to be implicated in stomach cancers. A recent study suggests that this is not such a problem in Britain as was once believed, the spores are not produced in such high quantities nor do they travel so far due to our normally humid atmosphere. The leaves and roots contain substances that deprive the body of vitamin B1 if they are eaten raw, though they are possibly alright cooked[102]. The leaves are also said to be carcinogenic[65, 76]. |
| Range: |
Australia - New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. New Zealand. |
| Habitat: |
Forests, heaths and paddocks[193]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
2 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
Physical Characteristics
Fern growing to 1.2m. It is hardy to zone 4. The seeds ripen from July to August. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soil.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires dry or moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.Edible Uses
Leaves
Root Sweetener.
Root - rich in a white starch that can be eaten raw or cooked[193]. It
can also be dried and ground into a powder[2, 13, 46, 55, 66, 94, 95, 102].
The root is very fibrous[173]. When dried, it will store for years[173]. The
root contains 60% starch[74]. The dry weight content of starch is between 43
and 72%[173]. This starch can be extracted from the roots and is used in
making dumplings which are eaten with soya flour and sugar as a
delicacy[183].
Young shoots - raw or cooked[2, 13, 55, 62, 94, 102, 183]. They can be used
like asparagus or like spinach[9]. Somewhat flavourless, though they are
considered to be a delicacy in Japan[4]. The fronds should be used when less
than 20cm long, longer ones have a terrible taste[9, 213]. The shoots are
somewhat bitter so they are often blanched for a few minutes in boiling
water, then left to soak in cold water for two hours before being cooked[4,
9]. Although this might well improve the flavour, it will greatly reduce the
nutritional value[K]. The shoots should be steeped in lye first[55].
Occasional use should cause no problems, but regular consumption is not
advisable because the shoots might be carcinogenic[9, 65].
The plant yields an edible saccharine substance[55]. (from the cooking
root??).
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Anthelmintic
Antiemetic Antirheumatic Diuretic Febrifuge Poultice.
The young shoots are diuretic, refrigerant and vermifuge[4, 46, 94,
218]. They have been eaten as a treatment for cancer[257]. The leaves have
been used in a steam bath as a treatment for arthritis[257].
A decoction of the plant as been used in the treatment of tuberculosis[257].
A poultice of the pounded fronds and leaves has been used to treat sores of
any type and also to bind broken bones in place[257].
The root is antiemetic, antiseptic, appetizer and tonic[257]. A tincture of
the root in wine is used in the treatment of rheumatism[218]. A tea made from
the roots is used in the treatment of stomach cramps, chest pains, internal
bleeding, diarrhoea, colds and also to expel worms[4, 46, 94, 222, 257]. The
poulticed root is applied to sores, burns and caked breasts[222, 257].
Other Uses
Adhesive
Basketry Biomass Compost Dye Hair Lining Packing Repellent Soap Soap making Stuffing Tinder.
A glue can be made from the rootstock[74].
A brown dye is obtained from the fronds[6, 67, 141]. It is green according
to another report[141].
The fibrous remnants from edible roots make a good tinder[99].
The rhizome lathers readily in water and can be used as a soap[74]. A
decoction of the root has been used as a hair wash[257].
The roots have been rubbed into the scalp in order to promote hair
growth[257].
The roots have been pounded to remove the bark, then split into flat bands
and used as the black strands of cheap baskets[257].
The ashes of the plant are rich in potassium and could be used as a
fertilizer[4]. They are also used in the manufacture of glass (when mixed
with sand) and in making soap (when mixed with vegetable oil)[4, 74]. The
roots contain up to 20% potash in early summer, but this reduces to about 5%
in the autumn[4].
The whole plant is a very valuable addition to the compost heap, it is rich
in potash and makes an excellent compost for tree seeds[67, 94]. Cut twice a
year if you want the plants to continue growing, three cuts annually will
weaken and eventually kill off the plants.
The dried ferns produce a very durable thatch[4].
The leaves are used as a packing material for fruit, keeping it fresh and
cool without imparting any colour or flavour[4, 66, 99]. They are also used
as a lining for baskets, fruit drying racks etc and as a bedding[66, 99]. The
leaves repel insects and can help to prevent rot in the fruits etc[99].
Dried bracken fronds are very useful in the garden as a mulch for somewhat
tender plants. This will keep the soil warmer, protect from wind damage and
also keep off some of the rain[4, K].
Cultivation details
Prefers a light, acid, deep sandy soil[1]. Dislikes shade according to
some reports[13, 17] whilst another says that it tolerates full sun but
prefers light shade[200]. Prefers a pH in the range 4 to 6[200].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].
This is an extremely invasive plant and is a noxious weed. Plants can be cut
down twice a year to provide compost material, this will not kill the plants.
If the plants are cut down three times a year this will gradually weaken and
eventually kill them.
Propagation
Spores can be surface sown in the same way as other ferns but this
plant really does not need any help in spreading itself about.
Division is also possible but totally unnecessary in most circumstances.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
References for Pteridium esculentum (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[6] Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979 ISBN 0-00-635555-2
Details on some of the useful wild plants of Britain. Poor on pictures but otherwise very good.
[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[44] Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961
The standard work, in 3 volumes though only the first two are of interest to the plant project. Very good on habitats.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[55] Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973
Interesting reading.
[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.
[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
[66] Freethy. R. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press 1985 ISBN 0-946284-51-2
Very readable, giving details on plant uses based on the authors own experiences.
[67] Ahrendt. Berberis and Mahonia. Journal of the Linnean Society, 57 1961
Not for the casual reader, it lists all the known species in these two genera together with botanic descriptions and other relevant details for the botanist.
[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.
[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.
[94] Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962 ISBN 0-911010-54-8
Useful wild plants in Western N. America. A pocket guide.
[95] Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976 ISBN 0-486-23310-3
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.
[99] Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7
Excellent and readable guide.
[102] Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979 ISBN 0-394-72811-4
Another guide to the wild foods of America.
[141] Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986 ISBN 0704909820
Some suggested alternative commercial crops for Britain. Readable. Produced by a University study group.
[173] Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990 ISBN 0-340-508302
A very well written and illustrated book based on the authors own experiments with living on a native diet.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[193] Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989 ISBN 0-207-14383-8
Well presented, clear information and good photographs. An interesting read for the casual reader as well as the enthusiast
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
Main Search Page
Help
Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Pteridium+aquilinum+esculentum
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Pteridium+aquilinum+esculentum
|
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if
you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.
|
| 
& (c) 2007 