Cyathea

Cyathea
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Cyathea medullaris growing in New Zealand
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Pteridopsida
Order:	Cyatheales
Family:	Cyatheaceae
Genus:	Cyathea J. E. Smith, 1793
Subgenera and sections
Subgenus Cyathea Alsophila Cyathea Subgenus Sphaeropteris Sphaeropteris Subgenus Hymenophyllopsis
Synonyms
Acanthea Lindig, 1861 Alsophila R. Brown, 1810 Amphicosmia Gardner, 1842 Chlamydia Moore, 1857 Chnoophora Kaulfuss, 1824 Cormiophyllum Newman, 1856 Cyatheopsis Karsten, 1858 Dichorexia Presl, 1847 Dicranophlebia Martius, 1834 Disphenia Presl, 1836 Eatoniopteris Bommer, 1873 Eleutheria Kunze, 1844 Fourniera Bommer, 1873 Gymnopremnon Lindig, 1861 Gymnosphaera Blume, 1828 Halophlebia Martius, 1834 Hymenophyllopsis Goebel, 1929 Nephelea Tryon, 1970 Notocarpia Presl, 1836 Notophoria Presl, 1848 Sarcopholis Schizocaena W. J. Hooker, 1838 Schizocaena J. E. Smith, 1838 Sclephropteris P. G. Windisch Sphaeropteris Bernhardi, 1801 Thysanobotrya Alderwerelt, 1918 Trachypremnon Lindig, 1861 Trichipteris Presl, 1822 Trichopteris Spreng., orth. var.

Cyathea is a genus of tree ferns, the type genus of the fern order Cyatheales. They are mostly terrestrial ferns, usually with a single tall stem. Rarely, the trunk may be branched or creeping. Many species also develop a fibrous mass of roots at the base of the trunk. The genus has a pantropical distribution, with over 470 species. They grow in habitats ranging from tropical rain forests to temperate woodlands.

The genus name Cyathea is derived from the Greek kyatheion, meaning "little cup", and refers to the cup-shaped sori on the underside of the fronds.

The best known species include:

• Cyathea brownii, the Norfolk tree fern
• Cyathea cooperi, the Australian tree fern or lacy tree fern
• Cyathea dealbata, the silver tree tern
• Cyathea medullaris, the New Zealand black tree fern

Classification

The classification below follows the findings of Conant et al. in 1996. Conant concluded, based on molecular cpDNA and morphological evidence, that a system of three clades — Alsophila, Cyathea and Sphaeropteris, whereby Alsophila is most basal and Cyathea and Sphaeropteris are derived sister groups — is the most accurate reflection of evolutionary lineages within the Cyatheaceae.

Dried Cyathea podophylla

Subgenus Cyathea Section Alsophila Cyathea abbottii Cyathea acanthophora Cyathea acrostichoides Cyathea acuminata Cyathea affinis Cyathea albidosquamata Cyathea alderwereltii Cyathea alleniae Cyathea alpicola Cyathea amboinensis Cyathea amintae Cyathea andersonii Cyathea aneitensis Cyathea annae Cyathea apiculata Cyathea apoensis Cyathea approximata Cyathea archboldii Cyathea ascendens Cyathea atropurpurea Cyathea australis Cyathea baileyana Cyathea balanocarpa Cyathea batjanensis Cyathea biformis Cyathea borneensis Cyathea × boytelii Cyathea brevipinna Cyathea brooksii Cyathea bryophila Cyathea buennemeijerii Cyathea callosa Cyathea camerooniana Cyathea capensis Cyathea catillifera Cyathea caudata Cyathea chinensis Cyathea christii Cyathea cincinnata Cyathea cinerea Cyathea coactilis Cyathea colensoi Cyathea × confirmis Cyathea corcovadensis Cyathea costalisora Cyathea costulisora Cyathea crassa Cyathea croftii Cyathea cucullifera Cyathea cunninghamii Cyathea cuspidata Cyathea dealbata Cyathea deckenii Cyathea decora Cyathea decrescens Cyathea dicksonioides Cyathea dimorpha Cyathea doctersii Cyathea dregei Cyathea × dryopteroides Cyathea edanoi Cyathea elongata Cyathea erinacea Cyathea eriophora Cyathea esmeraldensis Cyathea everta Cyathea excavata Cyathea exilis Cyathea fadenii Cyathea × fagildei Cyathea fenicis Cyathea ferruginea Cyathea foersteri Cyathea fulgens Cyathea fuliginosa Cyathea geluensis Cyathea gigantea Cyathea glaberrima Cyathea glabra Cyathea glaziovii Cyathea gleichenioides Cyathea gregaria Cyathea grevilleana Cyathea halconensis Cyathea hancockii Cyathea havilandii Cyathea henryi Cyathea heterochlamydea Cyathea hooglandii Cyathea hookeri Cyathea hornei Cyathea horridula Cyathea hotteana Cyathea humilis Cyathea hunsteiniana Cyathea hymenodes Cyathea imbricata Cyathea imrayana Cyathea incana Cyathea incisoserrata Cyathea inquinans Cyathea insulana Cyathea javanica Cyathea junghuhniana Cyathea kanehirae Cyathea kermadecensis Cyathea khasyana Cyathea klossii Cyathea latebrosa Cyathea latipinnula Cyathea ledermannii Cyathea lepidoclada Cyathea loerzingii Cyathea loheri Cyathea longipes Cyathea lurida Cyathea macarthurii Cyathea macgillivrayi Cyathea macgregorii Cyathea macropoda Cyathea madagascarica Cyathea magnifolia Cyathea manniana Cyathea marattioides Cyathea × marcescens Cyathea masapilidensis Cyathea media Cyathea × medinae Cyathea mesosora Cyathea metteniana Cyathea mexicana Cyathea microchlamys Cyathea microphylloides Cyathea mildbraedii Cyathea milnei Cyathea minor Cyathea modesta Cyathea mossambicensis Cyathea muelleri Cyathea negrosiana Cyathea nicklesii Cyathea nigrolineata Cyathea nigropaleata Cyathea nilgirensis Cyathea nockii Cyathea obtusiloba Cyathea ogurae Cyathea oinops Cyathea oosora Cyathea orientalis Cyathea pachyrrhachis Cyathea pallidipaleata Cyathea parva Cyathea patellifera Cyathea percrassa Cyathea perpelvigera Cyathea perpunctulata Cyathea perrieriana Cyathea physolepidota Cyathea plagiostegia Cyathea podophylla Cyathea polycarpa Cyathea polystichoides Cyathea portoricensis Cyathea pruinosa Cyathea pseudomuelleri Cyathea pubescens Cyathea punctulata Cyathea pycnoneura Cyathea raciborskii Cyathea ramispina Cyathea rebeccae Cyathea recommutata Cyathea recurvata Cyathea rigens Cyathea rubella Cyathea rubiginosa Cyathea rufopannosa Cyathea rupestris Cyathea saccata Cyathea salletii Cyathea salvinii Cyathea scandens Cyathea schlechteri Cyathea schliebenii Cyathea sechellarum Cyathea semiamplectens Cyathea serratifolia Cyathea setosa Cyathea setulosa Cyathea sinuata Cyathea smithii Cyathea solomonensis Cyathea spinulosa Cyathea srilankensis Cyathea stuebelii Cyathea subdubia Cyathea subtripinnata Cyathea sumatrana Cyathea tenuicaulis Cyathea ternatea Cyathea thomsonii Cyathea tryoniana Cyathea tsilotsilensis Cyathea tussacii Cyathea urbanii Cyathea vandeusenii Cyathea vieillardii Cyathea walkerae Cyathea welwitschii Cyathea wengiensis Cyathea woodwardioides Cyathea woollsiana Cyathea zakamenensis

Subgenus Cyathea Section Cyathea Cyathea acutidens Cyathea aemula Cyathea alata Cyathea albomarginata Cyathea alphonsiana Cyathea alstonii Cyathea amazonica Cyathea andina Cyathea arborea Cyathea armata Cyathea ars Cyathea aspera Cyathea atahuallpa Cyathea aterrima Cyathea atrovirens Cyathea barringtonii Cyathea × bernardii Cyathea bettinae Cyathea bicrenata Cyathea bipinnata Cyathea boliviana Cyathea borinquena Cyathea bradei Cyathea brevistipes Cyathea brunnescens Cyathea × calolepis Cyathea caracasana Cyathea cicatricosa Cyathea concordia Cyathea conformis Cyathea conjugata Cyathea corallifera Cyathea costaricensis †Cyathea cranhamii Cyathea cyatheoides Cyathea cyclodium Cyathea cystolepis Cyathea darienensis Cyathea decomposita Cyathea decorata Cyathea decurrens Cyathea delgadii Cyathea demissa Cyathea dichromatolepis Cyathea dissimilis Cyathea dissoluta Cyathea divergens Cyathea dombeyi Cyathea dudleyi Cyathea ebenina Cyathea estelae Cyathea falcata Cyathea frigida Cyathea fulva Cyathea furfuracea Cyathea gardneri Cyathea gibbosa Cyathea glauca Cyathea gracilis Cyathea halonata Cyathea harrisii Cyathea haughtii Cyathea hemiepiphytica Cyathea hirsuta Cyathea hodgeana Cyathea holdridgeana Cyathea howeana Cyathea impar Cyathea intramarginalis Cyathea jamaicensis Cyathea kalbreyeri Cyathea lasiosora Cyathea latevagens Cyathea lechleri Cyathea leucofolis Cyathea × lewisii Cyathea lockwoodiana Cyathea macrocarpa Cyathea macrosora Cyathea marginalis Cyathea microdonta Cyathea microphylla Cyathea microphylla Cyathea mucilagina Cyathea multiflora Cyathea multisegmenta Cyathea myosuroides Cyathea nanna Cyathea nesiotica Cyathea nigripes Cyathea nodulifera Cyathea notabilis Cyathea onusta Cyathea palaciosii Cyathea paladensis Cyathea pallescens Cyathea parianensis Cyathea parva Cyathea parvula Cyathea pauciflora Cyathea petiolata Cyathea phalaenolepis Cyathea phalerata Cyathea phegopteroides Cyathea pilosissima Cyathea pinnula Cyathea platylepis Cyathea poeppigii Cyathea praecincta Cyathea pseudonanna Cyathea pubens Cyathea punctata Cyathea pungens Cyathea robertsiana Cyathea rufa Cyathea ruiziana Cyathea sagittifolia Cyathea schiedeana Cyathea schlimii Cyathea senilis Cyathea simplex Cyathea sipapoensis Cyathea speciosa Cyathea squamulosa Cyathea steyermarkii Cyathea stipularis Cyathea stokesii Cyathea stolzei Cyathea straminea Cyathea subtropica Cyathea suprastrigosa Cyathea surinamensis Cyathea tenera Cyathea tortuosa Cyathea trichiata Cyathea tryonorum Cyathea ursina Cyathea valdecrenata Cyathea venezuelensis Cyathea villosa Cyathea weatherbyana Cyathea wendlandii Cyathea werffii Cyathea williamsii

Subgenus Sphaeropteris Section Sphaeropteris Cyathea aciculosa Cyathea aeneifolia Cyathea agatheti Cyathea albifrons Cyathea albosetacea Cyathea alternans Cyathea angiensis Cyathea angustipinna Cyathea aramaganensis Cyathea arthropoda Cyathea assimilis Cyathea atrospinosa Cyathea atrox Cyathea auriculifera Cyathea binuangensis Cyathea brackenridgei Cyathea brownii Cyathea brunei Cyathea brunoniana Cyathea capitata Cyathea carrii Cyathea celebica Cyathea contaminans Cyathea cooperi Cyathea crinita Cyathea cuatrecasassi Cyathea curranii Cyathea deminuens Cyathea discophora Cyathea elliptica Cyathea elmeri Cyathea feani Cyathea felina Cyathea fugax Cyathea fusca Cyathea gardneri Cyathea hainanensis Cyathea inaequalis Cyathea insignis Cyathea insularum Cyathea integra Cyathea intermedia Cyathea × lathamii Cyathea leichhardtiana Cyathea lepifera Cyathea leucolepis Cyathea leucotricha Cyathea lunulata Cyathea macrophylla Cyathea magna Cyathea marginata Cyathea medullaris Cyathea megalosora Cyathea mertensiana Cyathea microlepidota Cyathea moluccana Cyathea moseleyi Cyathea nigricans Cyathea novae-caledoniae Cyathea obliqua Cyathea obscura Cyathea papuana Cyathea parksii Cyathea parvipinna Cyathea persquamulifera Cyathea philippinensis Cyathea pilulifera Cyathea polypoda Cyathea princeps Cyathea procera Cyathea propinqua Cyathea pulcherrima Cyathea quindiuensis Cyathea robinsonii Cyathea robusta Cyathea rosenstockii Cyathea runensis Cyathea sarasinorum Cyathea senex Cyathea setifera Cyathea sibuyanensis Cyathea squamulata Cyathea stipipinnula Cyathea strigosa Cyathea subsessilis Cyathea suluensis Cyathea tenggerensis Cyathea teysmannii Cyathea tomentosa Cyathea tomentosissima Cyathea trichodesma Cyathea trichophora Cyathea tripinnata Cyathea tripinnatifida Cyathea truncata Cyathea vaupelii Cyathea verrucosa Cyathea vittata Cyathea wallacei Cyathea werneri Cyathea whitmeei Cyathea womersleyi Cyathea zamboangana

Subgenus Hymenophyllopsis Cyathea asplenioides (syn.: Hymenophyllopsis asplenioides Cyathea ctenitoides syn.: Hymenophyllopsis ctenitoides Cyathea dejecta syn.: Hymenophyllopsis dejecta Cyathea hymenophylloidessyn.: Hymenophyllopsis hymenophylloides Cyathea incognita syn.: Hymenophyllopsis incognita Cyathea tepuiana syn.: Hymenophyllopsis steyermarkii Cyathea trichomanoides syn.: Hymenophyllopsis superba Cyathea universitatis syn.: Hymenophyllopsis universitatis

Uncertain or dubious taxa

• Alsophila crassa Karsten, 1869
• Cyathea affinis M. Martens & Galeotti, 1842

Misassigned taxa

• Cyathea abitaguensis (Domin) Domin, 1930 = Cnemidaria uleana
• Cyathea antillana Domin, 1930 = Cnemidaria grandifolia
• Cyathea aristata Domin, 1930 = Cnemidaria apiculata
• Cyathea choricarpa (Maxon) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria choricarpa
• Cyathea commutata Sprengel, 1804 = Cnemidaria horrida
• Cyathea decurrentiloba Domin, 1930 = Cnemidaria decurrens
• Cyathea elegantissima (Fée) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria decurrens
• Cyathea ewanii Alston, 1958 = Cnemidaria ewanii
• Cyathea grandifolia Willdenow, 1810 = Cnemidaria grandifolia
• Cyathea grandis (Maxon) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria mutica
• Cyathea guatemalensis (Maxon) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria decurrens
• Cyathea horrida (Linnaeus) J. E. Smith, 1793 = Cnemidaria horrida
• Cyathea imrayana (W. J. Hooker) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria grandifolia
• Cyathea karsteniana Klotzsch, 1852 = Cnemidaria karsteniana
• Cyathea kohautiana (Presl) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria grandifolia
• Cyathea leprieurii (Kunze) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria cruciata
• Cyathea liebmannii Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria decurrens
• Cyathea lucida (Fée) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria decurrens
• Cyathea minita Kaulfuss, 1824 = Cnemidaria grandifolia
• Cyathea mutica (Christ) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria mutica
• Cyathea obtusa (Kaulfuss) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria grandifolia
• Cyathea roraimensis (Domin) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria roraimensis
• Cyathea spectabilis (Kunze) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria spectabilis
  • Cyathea spectabilis var. colombiensis Stolze, 1974 = Cnemidaria spectabilis var. colombiensis
  • Cyathea spectabilis var. longipinna (Domin) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria spectabilis var. spectabilis
  • Cyathea spectabilis var. trinitensis (Domin) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria spectabilis var. spectabilis
• Cyathea subarborescens Domin, 1930 = Cnemidaria uleana
• Cyathea subincisa (Kunze) Domin, 1929 = Cnemidaria speciosa

References

• Christenhusz, M.J.M. (2009). New combinations and an overview of Cyathea subg. Hymenophyllopsis (Cyatheaceae). Phytotaxa 1: 37-42.
• Large, M.F. and J.E. Braggins (2004). Tree Ferns. Timber Press, Inc. ISBN 0-88192-630-2
• Lehnert, M. (2006). New species and records of tree ferns (Cyatheaceae, Pteridophyta) in the northern Andes. Organisms, Diversity & Evolution 6: 321-322, electronic supplement 13: 1-11.
• Lehnert, M. (2009). Three new species of scaly tree ferns (Cyathea-Cyatheaceae) from the northern Andes. Phytotaxa 2: 43-56.
• The International Plant Names Index

External links

• Cyathea: World Species List
• Alsophila: World Species List
• Sphaeropteris: World Species List
• Smith's original description of the genus online at Project Gutenberg
• Community: Care and propagation of Treeferns (German/English)
• Fern Files: Cyathea