Cyathea cunninghamii | |
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Rare (NCA) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Class: | Polypodiopsida |
Order: | Cyatheales |
Family: | Cyatheaceae |
Genus: | Cyathea |
Subgenus: | Cyathea subg. Cyathea |
Section: | Cyathea sect. Alsophila |
Species: | C. cunninghamii |
Binomial name | |
Cyathea cunninghamii J. D. Hooker, 1854 | |
Synonyms | |
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Cyathea cunninghamii, also known as the gully tree fern and slender tree fern, is a species of tree fern indigenous to New Zealand [1] including North Island (type locality), South Island and Chatham Islands; also to Victoria, possibly New South Wales, southeastern Queensland and Tasmania in Australia. [2] :36 It grows in damp forest, often emerging from stream gullies and riverbanks. Brownsey [1] :103 noted that it has a lower tolerance for drought than other species of Cyathea. The erect trunk may be 20 m tall and is usually 6–15 cm in diameter, occasionally as much as 20 cm. Fronds are tri- to tetrapinnate and 3 m or more in length. The rachis and stipe are slender, black brown, warty and covered with brown scales. Sori occur along each side of the pinnule midvein and are covered by hood-like indusia. C. cunninghamii is an uncommon and slow-growing tree fern.
The order Cyatheales, which includes the tree ferns, is a taxonomic division of the fern class, Polypodiopsida. No clear morphological features characterize all of the Cyatheales, but DNA sequence data indicate the order is monophyletic. Some species in the Cyatheales have tree-like growth forms, but others have rhizomes.
New Zealand is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, and the South Island —and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island's area is 113,729 square kilometres (43,911 sq mi), making it the world's 14th-largest island. It has a population of 3,749,200.
Plants from New Caledonia known as Cyathea stelligera may represent the same species. [3] :118
In the wild, C. cunninghamii hybridises with Cyathea australis to form the fertile hybrid Cyathea × marcescens . [1] [2] :38 [3]
In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents, but can show hybrid vigour, sometimes growing larger or taller than either parent. The concept of a hybrid is interpreted differently in animal and plant breeding, where there is interest in the individual parentage. In genetics, attention is focused on the numbers of chromosomes. In taxonomy, a key question is how closely related the parent species are.
Cyathea australis, also known as the Rough Tree Fern, is a species of tree fern native to southeastern Queensland, New South Wales and southern Victoria in Australia, as well as Tasmania and Norfolk Island.
Cyathea × marcescens, commonly known as the skirted tree fern, is a tree fern endemic to the Cape Otway ranges in Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. It is a natural hybrid, apparently Cyathea australis × Cyathea cunninghamii. Braggins and Large (2004) note that it has characteristics midway between these two species. The spores of C. × marcescens are usually malformed although sterile. The trunk of this plant is erect and up to 10 m tall. Fronds may be bi- or tripinnate and 3–4 m in length. Dead fronds often persist, forming a characteristic skirt around the trunk. The stipe is thick, black and warty. The rachis and trunk are covered in shiny, dark brown scales. Sori are borne near the fertile pinnule midvein and are protected by thin indusia that are saucer-like in appearance.
To do well in cultivation, C. cunninghamii requires moisture. Rich humus is a good growing medium. Plants should be protected from the wind.
In soil science, humus denominates the fraction of soil organic matter that is amorphous and without the "cellular cake structure characteristic of plants, micro-organisms or animals". Humus significantly affects the bulk density of soil and contributes to its retention of moisture and nutrients.
The specific epithet cunninghamii commemorates Allan Cunningham (1791-1839), a botanist who traveled widely in Australia and New Zealand.
An epithet is a byname, or a descriptive term, accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It can also be a descriptive title: for example, Pallas Athena, Alfred the Great, Suleiman the Magnificent or Władysław I the Elbow-high.
Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in Australia to collect plants.
This article relates to the flora of New Zealand, especially indigenous strains. New Zealand's geographical isolation has meant the country has developed a unique variety of native flora. However, human migration has led to the importation of many other plants as well as widespread damage to the indigenous flora, especially after the advent of European colonisation, due to the combined efforts of farmers and specialised societies dedicated to importing European plants & animals.
Cyathea medullaris, commonly known as mamaku or black tree fern, is a large tree fern up to 20 m tall. It is distributed across the south-west Pacific from Fiji to Pitcairn Island. Its other Māori names include katātā, kōrau, or pītau.
Cyathea dregei is a widespread species of tree fern in southern Africa.
Cyathea kermadecensis is a species of tree fern endemic to Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands, where it is locally common in damp, and sometimes drier, forest and scrub. The trunk of this plant is erect, slender, and up to 20 m tall. It is often covered with scars of old stipe-bases. Fronds are tripinnate and up to 4 m in length. The rachis and stipe are both brown in colouration and bear basal scales that are brown, glossy, and often twisted. Sori are borne on either side of the pinnule midvein. They are covered by hood-like indusia.
Tmesipteris the "hanging fork fern", is a genus of fern-like vascular plants, one of two genera in the family Psilotaceae, order Psilotales . Tmesipteris is restricted to certain lands in the Southern Pacific, notably Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. In New Zealand this hanging epiphyte is common in the warm temperate rain forests of both main islands, where it can normally be found as short spiky dark-green fronds, often with lighter bag-like sporangia at the bases of some of its "leaves". The plant possesses no true leaves; what appear to be leaves are flattened stems. The fronds emerge directly from the fibrous root-mats which clad the trunks of mature tree ferns such as Dicksonia and Cyathea. Tmesipteris is from the Greek language, meaning a "cut fern", referring to the truncated leaf tips.
Doodia media, also known as rasp fern, is a fern species in the family Blechnaceae. The species was formally described by botanist Robert Brown in 1810. Distribution of the species includes New Zealand's North Island and the upper part of the South Island. It is also found in Australia and Lord Howe Island.
Backhousia subargentea is a rare Australian rainforest tree, growing near Mullumbimby in north eastern New South Wales and from Boonah to Imbil in south eastern Queensland.
Croton verreauxii known as the green native cascarilla is a small tree or shrub growing in dry rainforest and rainforest margins in eastern Australia.
Asplenium flabellifolium is commonly known as the necklace fern. This small fern occurs in all states of Australia, as well as in New Zealand. It was initially described by Spanish botanist Antonio José Cavanilles.
Polyscias sambucifolia, commonly known as elderberry panax or small basswood, is a species of plant native to eastern Australia.
Platycerium bifurcatum, the elkhorn fern or common staghorn fern, is a species of fern native to Java, New Guinea and southeastern Australia, in New South Wales, Queensland and on Lord Howe Island. It is a bracket epiphyte occurring in and near rainforests. Growing to 90 cm (35 in) tall by 80 cm (31 in) broad, it has heart-shaped sterile fronds 12–45 cm (5–18 in) long, and arching grey-green fertile fronds which are forked and strap-shaped, and grow up to 90 cm (35 in) long.
Blechnum wattsii or the hard water fern is a common terrestrial fern growing in rainforest and open forest. Often seen near creeks in much of south eastern Australia, including Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. The Blechnum wattsii was named for Reverend William Walter Watts (1856-1920). Reverend Watts was considered an authority on mosses and ferns and has more than 30 species named for him. Common names by which B. wattsii may be called are hard water fern - from its stiff leathery fronds, leech fern - as forest workers often encounter leaches while working in clusters of these ferns, hard hill fern - from the fern's habit and habitat, and red cabbage fern - from the bronze-pink colour of the young fronds resembling cooked red cabbage.
Todea barbara is known as the king fern. Occurring in moist areas of south eastern Australia, and also indigenous to New Zealand and South Africa.
Pellaea falcata, the sickle fern, is a widespread and common plant, growing in eastern Australia. Often seen in on the coast and ranges in eucalyptus forest and rainforest. Occurring in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Also occurring on Lord Howe Island. It prefers ample water when grown indoors,and can take very bright light but not full sun. Fronds usually 37 to 105 cm long. Fronds with between 27 and 65 leaflets, sometimes more. These pinnae have a short stalk or no stalk, oblong to narrow-oblong in shape. 22 to 56 mm long, 5 to 12 mm wide.
Diospyros mabacea, the red-fruited ebony is a rare rainforest tree in the ebony or persimmon family growing in north eastern New South Wales. Listed as endangered by extinction.
Cyathophorum bulbosum, commonly known as quill moss or the false fern moss, is found in the eastern states of Australia as well as Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Auckland Islands, Chatham Island, Lord Howe Island and possibly Norfolk Island and New Ireland.
Asplenium appendiculatum, ground spleenwort, is a common native fern to Australia and New Zealand. It usually grows in cool damp conditions, among rocks, on logs or as an epiphyte.