Dennstaedtiaceae

Dennstaedtiaceae is one of fifteen families in the order Polypodiales, the most derived families within monilophytes (ferns). It comprises 10 genera with ca 240 known species, including one of the world's most abundant fern, Pteridium aquilinum (bracken). Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn (Dennstaedtiaceae family), contains ptaquiloside, a toxic compound that can cause cancer. Ptaquiloside is known to cause hemorrhagic diseases in ruminants, tumors, and hematological problems in non-ruminants, and is correlated with esophageal and gastric cancer in humans.