Scientific name: Pteridium aquilinum (Polypodiaceae)

Common names: samambaia or samambaia-do-campo, and bracken fern

Description of plant: Fern with bipinnately compound, leathery leaves. Leaflets are lobed and undersides of leaflets have collections of brownish spores arranged linearly. The underground stems (rhizomes) have reddish hairs. Plant width 60-120cm and height 60-180cm.

Habitat: Found ubiquitously in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Parana. Mostly in sandy and acidic soils