On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 20:12:25 +0100, tuin man wrote:

"Douglas" wrote in message
...

"Kev" wrote in message
...
While sat in the garden the other day, my father noticed a fern and
warned
me that he has seen something on television stating that one or more
types
were a risk to children's eyesight. Did anyone else see this or have an
opinion ?

Thanks
*********************
Don't know, but if you're going up the fells keep away from the bracken.
Sometimes the stuff's riddled with nasty ticks.
Doug.
********************

I never heard of the eyesight risk, but have heard that areas of dense fern
planting (like say, the side of a mountain) should be avoided during spore
release time as these are allegedly carcinogenic.
Not that we haven't just about heard the same thing about just about
everything else so far.

Not the spores, but the foliage itself. And carcinogenic only really in
large amounts. Brought to light years ago by studies of the higher rate of
mouth and throat and stomach cancer in regions of China where the people
regularly eat large amounts of bracken as a vegetable or salad.

--
Tim C.