Austral Bracken

Pteridium esculentum, commonly known as bracken fern, austral bracken or simply bracken, is a species of the bracken genus native to a number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere. Although it is now known to contain the carcinogen ptaquiloside, the rhizome of the plant was a staple in traditional Māori diets in New Zealand and was eaten by Indigenous Australians.