Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum

(Desvaux) L. Underwood ex A. Heller

Cat. N. Amer. Pl. ed. 3 17. 1909.

Common names: Eastern bracken
Illustrated
Basionym: Pteris latiuscula (Desvaux) Hieronymus ex Fries Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 6. 2: 303. 1827
Synonyms: Pteridium latiusculum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Petiole 15–100 cm. Blade broadly triangular to sometimes ovate, 3-pinnate or 3-pinnate-pinnatifid at base, 20–80 × 25–50 cm; blade margins and abaxial surface shaggy, rachises and costae glabrous or sparsely pilose abaxially. Pinnae (proximal) broadly triangular, distal pinnae narrowly triangular or oblong; terminal segment of each pinna ca. 2–4 times longer than wide, longer ultimate segments less than their width apart, ca. 3–6 mm wide. Pinnules at 45°–60° angle to costa; fertile ultimate segments adnate or equally decurrent and surcurrent. Outer indusia entire or somewhat erose, glabrous. 2n = 104.


Habitat: In barrens, pastures, open woodlands in moderately to strong acid soil, abundant, forming large colonies
Elevation: 0–1500 m

Distribution

V2 371-distribution-map.gif

St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., P.E.I., Ont., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Mexico in Nuevo León, Europe, Asia.

Discussion

Colonies are more frequent in the northern part of the range. Fertile colonies, however, are more frequent in the southern and eastern portion of the range. Outliers in British Columbia and Alberta, which we have not seen, are documented in W. J. Cody and D. M. Britton (1989).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
Carol A. Jacobs +  and James H. Peck +
(Desvaux) L. Underwood ex A. Heller +
Pteris latiuscula +
Eastern bracken +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, P.E.I. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Mexico in Nuevo León +, Europe +  and Asia. +
0–1500 m +
In barrens, pastures, open woodlands in moderately to strong acid soil, abundant, forming large colonies +
Cat. N. Amer. Pl. ed. 3 +
Illustrated +
Pteridium latiusculum +
Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum +
Pteridium aquilinum +
variety +