The Chinese brake (Pteris vittata), is a fern of the family Pteridaceae, it prefers tropical and sub tropical areas.
In Italy it is reported in Sicily, Calabria and Campania, in areas like the Vallone Porto di Positano and the Valle delle Ferriere. It grows on rocks and damp walls from 0 to 300 m above sea level. The genus name is derived from the Gr. 'Pteris', fern, and this because of the similarity of the leaves.
The fern Chinese brake is a hyper accumulator of arsenic. For this reason it was chosen as a model plant in the study of new strategies for the phytoremediation of contaminated by arsenic. It is an endangered and protected species.
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Notes
Conti, F.; Abbate, G.; Alessandrini, A.; Blasi, C. -An Annotated Checklist of the Italian Vascular Flora, Palombi Editori, Roma, 2005
Pignatti, S. -Flora d'Italia (vol. I), Edagricole, Bologna, 1982
Soster, M. -Identikit delle felci d'Italia, Valsesia Editrice, 2001
Zangheri, P. -flora italica I-II, CEDAM, Padova, 1976