Bracken fern

Bracken fern - gurgi

What is a bracken fern?

Bracken ferns, scientifically known as Pteridium esculentum, are a type of large fern that belongs to the Pteridaceae family. They can be found in the ground and understorey layers of forests. 

Bracken ferns have distinctive bright green triangular fronds, which are the leaf-like structures that grow from the ground. If you touch a mature bracken fern, you might notice that the underside of the fronds are hairy. Most bracken ferns are around 0.5 - 1 m tall, however some can grow up to 1.5 m!

Where are bracken ferns found?

Bracken ferns are native to Australia and found all throughout New South Wales.

They grow in a range of habitats including rainforests, temperate forests, coastal dunes, and even along roadsides.

Bracken ferns prefer to grow in areas with high rainfall, although they can also survive in soils that do not hold water very well.

What role does bracken fern play in the ecosystem?

Where the fronds of mature bracken ferns arch over the ground, they create a suitable microclimate for small vertebrates and invertebrates living on the ground.

How are bracken ferns used by Aboriginal Peoples?

The Darug people of the Sydney basin refer to bracken fern as gurgi.

Aboriginal Peoples in the Sydney region use bracken fern for food, shelter and medicine. Ferns are gathered in summer and autumn when they are mature, allowing for new shoots to grow in winter.

The starchy rhizomes are used as a source of food, however they need to be specially prepared and cooked to remove toxins. Rhizomes can be roasted and chewed to extract the starch or beaten into a paste and baked into a kind of bread.

The sap of the young juicy stems of the fronds are used as an antiseptic and rubbed on skin to relieve the stinging and itching of insect bites and deter any leeches from attaching.

Should you eat bracken fern?

All parts of bracken fern are toxic and should never be eaten without proper knowledge of how to prepare it. Young fronds are more toxic than mature fronds. Bracken fern is especially poisonous to cattle and sheep. Milk produced by cattle who have eaten bracken fern can contain these toxins too.

What structural adaptations do bracken ferns have to their environment?

One of the key adaptations of bracken ferns is their underground rhizomes, which are thick and horizontal underground stems. These rhizomes can be several metres long. Rhizomes store and transport nutrients and water, allowing the ferns to survive in dry or harsh conditions. Bracken ferns are also able to withstand bushfire due to their ability to resprout quickly from rhizomes after a fire has passed through the area.

How do bracken ferns reproduce?

Unlike other plants in the area, bracken ferns do not produce flowers or seeds. Instead, they reproduce using spores. The spores are tiny, dust-like particles produced on the underside of mature fronds. When conditions are right, the spores are released into the air. If they land in a suitable environment, they can develop into new fern plants. Spores are usually produced and dispersed in late summer to autumn. 

How do bracken ferns change as they grow?

Bracken ferns are perennial, which means they live for several years. 

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