Brackenfern, Pteridium aquilinum, is the only species of the monotypic genus Pteridium, one of the most familiar plants in the world. It encompasses several subspecies and varieties, and its distribution is worldwide in temperate and tropical regions. The genus Pteridium is on all the continents, including Antarctica, and may be one of the most widely distributed vascular plants on earth (Cody and Crompton 1975).
