Bracken Fern
Pteridium esculentum
Common Name: Bracken Fern
First Nations Name: Gurgi (Eora/Yura people)
Scientific Name: Pteridium esculentum
Height: Triangle leaves, grows really fast, and can reach up to 2 meters in height.
Leaves: Has large, triangular fronds that are dark green and leathery, with reddish hairs on the edges and fine white hairs underneath.
Flowers: Bracken Fern does not produce flowers or seeds but instead produces spores.
First Nations Uses: As a mattress, ointment, and to make bread. Underground stems, called rhizomes, were roasted and beaten to a paste to make a type of bread, and taste like nuts. The juice of the young stems is poisonous and was not eaten, but gave immediate relief for insect stings and bites.
