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Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online

Pteridium caudatum (L.) Maxon
Lacy bracken fern

Pteridium caudatum
Copyright by: George D. Gann, 16 March 2015
Portion of frond in habitat, Everglades National Park
Florida, USA

Family: Dennstaedtiaceae

Group: Pteridophyte

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Peninsular Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Secure

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images. Reported by John Kunkel Small in 1918 for Royal Palm Hammock.

Synonyms: P. aquilinum var. caudatum, Pteris caudata.

FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence: Present

FLORIDA KEYS Native Status: Native

IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status: Rare

Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys

Florida Keys History and Distribution: Reported in 1931 by John Kunkel Small for hammocks and pinelands in the Florida Keys without specific locality data. We consider this native and extant in the upper Keys and lower Keys.

Other data on Pteridium caudatum available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants

Pteridium caudatum has been reported from the following 8 conservation areas in the FLORIDA KEYS :
Occurrence Native Status
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Reported
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge Reported
Little Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Middle Torch Hammocks Parcel 3063, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
National Key Deer Refuge Present Native
Ramrod Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Sugarloaf Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native




Pteridium caudatum has been reported for the following 3 habitats in THE FLORIDA KEYS :
Disturbed Upland
Pine Rockland
Rockland Hammock


All Images:

Pteridium caudatum
Copyright by: George D. Gann, 16 March 2015
Portion of frond in habitat, Everglades National Park
Florida, USA
Pteridium caudatum
Copyright by: George D. Gann
emerging frond in habitat
Everglades National Park, 2012
Pteridium caudatum
Copyright by: George D. Gann