Pteridium
bracken, brackenfern, brake, brake-fern
subterranean, slender, long-creeping;
hairs pale to dark, jointed;
scales absent;
true vessels present (absent in other Dennstaedtiaceae genera in the flora).
widely spaced, broadly deltate, 0.5–4.5 m.
glabrous to short-hairy, without prickles, with stem buds near base, vascular bundles numerous, U- or O-shaped in cross section.
2–4-pinnate, rachis and costae grooved adaxially;
rachis without prickles;
nectaries at base of proximal and sometimes distal pinnae.
pinnately divided, ultimate segments ovate to oblong to linear, base extending proximally on costae (decurrent) or proximally (surcurrent), margins entire.
free or joined at margin by commissural vein beneath sori, pinnately 2–3-forked.
± continuous, covered by recurved, outer false indusium and obscure, extrorse, inner true indusium.
tetrahedral-globose, trilete, very finely granulate.
= 26.
Pteridium
Species 1 (1 species, 4 varieties in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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