BRACKEN - 4 reference results
bracken or brake, common name for a tall fern (Pteridium aquilinum) with large triangular fronds, widespread throughout the world, often as a weed. It is considered poisonous to livestock when eaten in quantity, but the rootstocks and the young shoots, cooked, are used for food. Bracken is also a source of tannin and is used for thatching and as bedding for livestock. A beverage is made from the roots. The names bracken and brake are sometimes also applied to other large, coarse ferns and, as general terms, to a thicket of such plants. Bracken is classified in the division Polypodiophyta, class Polypodiopsida, order Filicales, family Polypodiaceae.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Bracken, John, 1883-1969, Canadian political leader, b. Ontario. A noted agricultural expert, he was premier of Manitoba for 20 years (1922-42). In 1942 he was chosen to lead Canada's Conservative party, which he renamed Progressive Conservative. Elected in 1945 to the Canadian House of Commons, he served as leader of the opposition until 1948, when he resigned.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Licensed from Columbia University Press
or brake
fern of the genus Pteridium, represented by a single species (P. aquilinum). Twelve varieties are found throughout the world in temperate and tropical regions. It is a noxious weed, with a perennial black rootstock that creeps extensively underground. At intervals along the rootstock, the plant sends up fronds that may reach a height of 15 ft (5 m) or more. Though they die in autumn, the fronds often remain standing throughout winter, affording cover for wildlife in some areas. The fronds are used for thatching and as fodder.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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