Cyathea grevilleana

Cyathea grevilleana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Pteridopsida
Order:	Cyatheales
Family:	Cyatheaceae
Genus:	Cyathea
Subgenus:	Cyathea
Section:	Alsophila
Species:	C. grevilleana
Binomial name
	Cyathea grevilleana; Martius, 1834
Synonyms
	Nephelea grevilleana(Martius) Tryon, 1970; Alsophila grevilleana(Martius) Conant, 1983; Cyathea elegansHeward, 1838 [1] (non Alsophila elegans Martius, 1834; quae = Cyathea corcovadensis ); Cyathea lindsayanaW. J. Hooker, 1865;

Last updated March 22, 2019

Cyathea grevilleana is a species of tree fern endemic to Jamaica, where it grows in moist gullies and on wooded hills in both calcareous and noncalcareous soils at an altitude of 200–1200 m. The trunk of this plant is erect, about 7 m tall, and 10–15 cm in diameter. It is characteristically clothed in old stipe bases, brown scales and blackish spines. Fronds are tripinnate, dark green in colour, and up to 4 m in length. The last pinnae are sometimes separated, forming a distinctive clump around the trunk apex. The rachis is yellow-brown and almost smooth. This species has a long, dark brown stipe with a few scattered spines. Sori are produced in four to six pairs along the pinnule midvein. They are protected by pale brown indusia that are cup-like in appearance.

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.

Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning 10,990 square kilometres (4,240 sq mi) in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the fourth-largest island country in the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Cuba, and 191 kilometres (119 mi) west of Hispaniola.

In botany, a stipe is a stalk that supports some other structure. The precise meaning is different depending on which taxonomic group is being described.

C. grevilleana forms part of the complex centered on Cyathea woodwardioides comprising six very similar taxa from the Greater Antilles. The other five species are Cyathea crassa , Cyathea fulgens , Cyathea portoricensis and Cyathea tussacii . Large and Braggins (2004) note that this group is known to cross with members of the Cyathea minor complex.

In biology, a taxon is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and given a particular ranking, especially if and when it is accepted or becomes established. It is not uncommon, however, for taxonomists to remain at odds over what belongs to a taxon and the criteria used for inclusion. If a taxon is given a formal scientific name, its use is then governed by one of the nomenclature codes specifying which scientific name is correct for a particular grouping.

The Greater Antilles is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea: Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.

Cyathea crassa is a species of tree fern endemic to the Santo Domingo area in the Dominican Republic. Little is known about this rare tree fern.

Cyathea lindsayana was described by William J. Hooker in 1865 based on material that was recorded as having originated from Mount Lindesay in Queensland. Tindale (1956) concluded that this taxon is conspecific with C. grevilleana and thus should be considered a junior synonym. Large and Braggins suggest Hooker's naming of a new species identical to one published had likely been an error and the result of samples being mixed up.

Mount Lindesay is a mountain and locality within the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia.

Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the north-east of the country, it is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the Torres Strait, with Papua New Guinea located less than 200 km across it from the mainland. The state is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, with an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi).

The specific epithet grevilleana commemorates Robert Kaye Greville (1794-1866), who collected the type specimen in Jamaica in 1832.

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.

Dr Robert Kaye Greville FRSE FLS LLD was an English mycologist, bryologist, and botanist. He was an accomplished artist and illustrator of natural history. In addition to art and science he was interested in causes like abolitionism, capital punishment, keeping Sunday special and the temperance movement. He has a mountain in Queensland named after him.

Holotype single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described

A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype. Under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), a holotype is one of several kinds of name-bearing types. In the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) and ICZN the definitions of types are similar in intent but not identical in terminology or underlying concept.

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Cyathea affinis is a variable species of tree fern native to Fiji, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Austral Islands, Tahiti, and the Marquesas Islands. The trunk of this plant is erect and 2–6 m tall. Fronds are bipinnate and 2–3 m in length. The rachis and stipe are pale to brown in colour, or flushed with red towards the pinnule rachis. The stipe is sparsely covered in narrow basal scales, which are pale to dark and have broad fragile edges. Characteristically of this species, the lowest one or two pairs of pinnae may be slightly reduced and occur towards the base of the stipe. Sori are located near the pinnule midvein and are partially or fully covered by indusia, which open towards the pinnule margin.

Cyathea alpicola is a species of tree fern native to central Sumatra, where it grows in montane rain forest at an altitude of 2000–2750 m. The erect trunk can reach 5 m or more in height. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and usually 2–3 m long. They have a tendency to persist on the plant after withering, forming an irregular skirt around the trunk. This species has a spiny stipe, which is covered with a woolly layer of scales. There appear to be two forms with different scales; either dark glossy brown with a broad paler margin and fragile edges, or small, brown and finely fringed. Sori are covered by thin, fragile indusia and occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules. The closest relative of C. alpicola is thought to be Cyathea polycarpa, which differs by lacking spines altogether. Cyathea macropoda and Cyathea magnifolia may also be closely allied with this species.

Cyathea archboldii is a species of tree fern native to New Guinea and Bougainville, where it is common in submontane rain forest at an altitude of 1000–3000 m. The trunk is erect and up to about 3 m tall. Fronds are bipinnate and 2–3 m long. The rachis may be purplish and has short spines and scales. The scales range in colour from pale to brown, to bicoloured and have fragile edges. Sori occur in two rows along each side of the pinnule midvein and are covered by firm indusia.

Cyathea baileyana, also known as the wig tree fern, is a species of tree fern native to northeastern Queensland in Australia, where it grows in wet gullies and forest at an altitude of 850–1200 m. It is a rare species that is seldom found in the wild. The erect trunk is 4–5 m tall, approximately 10 cm in diameter and may be covered in stipe bases in the upper regions. C. baileyana is notable for being able to develop offshoots from the base of the trunk. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and may be exceptionally long, up to 7 m, though they are usually around 2–3 m. The rachis and stipe are dark to darkish red, scaly and may be warty, but lack spines. Scales on the rachis and stipe are purplish brown to black and have a long hair-like apex. Characteristically of this species, the last pair of pinnae are separated from the others along the rachis and may form a clump around the trunk apex. Sori are circular and occur in one to three rows along the pinnule midvein. They lack indusia.

Cyathea erinacea is a species of tree fern native to Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Cyathea everta is a species of tree fern native to western New Guinea, where it grows in the edges of forest or in mossy forest at an altitude of 1400–2800 m. The trunk is erect and up to 5 m tall. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and 1-1.5 m long. Numerous fronds are present at any one time and form a dense crown. The stipe has some spines towards the base and is covered in scales. The scales are pale or dark, glossy and have pale fringed edges. Sori occur near the fertile pinnule midvein. They are round and covered by thin, brown indusia that are cup-like in appearance.

Cyathea exilis is a species of tree fern endemic to the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia, where it grows in vine forest on a substrate of sandstone. It is a rare plant known only from one location, specifically by a stream in Mann Creek in the William Thompson Range. In its natural habitat, C. exilis is reportedly accompanied by Pandanus and Calamus plants. The trunk is erect, up to 4 m tall and 4–8 cm in diameter. It produces several buds, often one at each stipe base. Fronds are bipinnate and up to 1 m long. The rachis and stipe range in colour from brown to dark brown or black-brown and are covered in blunt spines and scales. The scales are dull brown in colour and bear terminal setae, mostly one each. Sori are round and occur on either side of the pinnule midvein. Indusia are absent.

Cyathea ferruginea is a species of tree fern endemic to the Philippines.

Cyathea fulgens is a species of tree fern native to Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola. It forms part of the complex centered on Cyathea woodwardioides comprising six very similar taxa from the Greater Antilles. The other five species are Cyathea crassa, Cyathea grevilleana, Cyathea portoricensis and Cyathea tussacii. Large and Braggins (2004) note that this group is known to cross with members of the Cyathea minor complex. In the wild, C. fulgens also forms hybrids with Cyathea brooksii.

Cyathea geluensis is a species of tree fern native to central and eastern New Guinea as well as the Louisiade Archipelago, where it grows in mossy forest. In New Guinea itself, plants grow at an altitude of 1000–2000 m, however they are present at lower elevations of 700–900 m on associated islands. The trunk of this tree fern is erect and may be 5 m tall or more. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and 1-2.5 m long. They are usually about ten live fronds present in the crown at once. The stipe may be warty and/or have short spines as well as many scattered scales towards the base. These scales are pale to dark and have dull, fragile edges. Sori occur near the fertile pinnule midvein and are protected by pale, thin indusia. C. geluensis is a variable taxon and further study is needed to determine whether it does not in fact represent a species complex.

Cyathea glabra is a species of tree fern native to Borneo, western Java, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, where it grows in lowland swamp forest and montane forest at an elevation of up to 1500 m. The trunk of this plant is erect and 2–4 m tall. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and 1–2 m in length. Characteristically of this species, the lowest pinnae may be significantly reduced. The stipe is very dark and bears basal scales. These scales are dark, glossy and have a paler margin and fragile edges. Sori are produced in groups of one to three on fertile pinnule veins. They lack indusia.

Cyathea heterochlamydea is a little-known species of tree fern native to the islands of Luzon, Panay, Negros and Mindanao in the Philippines, where it grows in montane forest. The trunk of this plant is erect and usually up to 4 m tall or more. Fronds may be bi- or tripinnate and 1–2 m in length. The stipe is warty and/or bears short spines and scales. These scales are dark, glossy and have a narrow pale margin. Sori are borne near the fertile pinnule midvein and are protected by firm, brown indusia.

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.

Cyathea hookeri is a species of tree fern endemic to Sri Lanka, where it grows in lowland forest. This plant has a narrow, erect trunk that is usually 1–2 m tall. Fronds are pinnate and approximately 1 m in length. The stipe is dark and covered with blunt spines and scattered scales. These scales are long, glossy, medium brown in colouration, and have fragile edges. Sori are borne on the lowest one or two pairs of veins of fertile pinnules. They are protected by thin indusia.

Cyathea horridula is a species of tree fern native to western New Guinea, where it grows in montane forest at an altitude of approximately 1700 m. It is a rare plant known only from the type locality. This plant has an erect trunk up to 3 m tall or more. Fronds may be bi- or tripinnate and 1–2 m in length. The stipe is covered with spines and bears scattered scales towards the base. These scales are pale and have fragile edges. Sori are borne near the fertile pinnule midvein. They are protected by small, dark brown indusia that are saucer-like in appearance.

Cyathea imrayana is a species of tree fern native to Dominica, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador.

Cyathea javanica is a species of tree fern native to western Java and Sumatra, in Indonesia.

Cyathea junghuhniana is a species of tree fern native to southern and central Sumatra and western Java, where it grows in forest at an altitude of 1000–2000 m. The trunk of this species is erect and may be 2 m tall or more. Fronds are tripinnate and up to about 3 m long. The stipes of this species are persistent and form a skirt around the trunk. They are brown, spiny, and covered with glossy, dark brown scales. Sori are borne near the midvein of fertile pinnules and are protected by thin indusia.

Cyathea latebrosa is a common and widespread species of tree fern native to Indochina. Its natural range covers Cambodia and Thailand, and stretches from the Malay Peninsula to Indonesia, where it is present on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Plants reported from India and Sri Lanka have thinner indusia and may represent a separate, as-yet undescribed, species. C. latebrosa grows in a wide range of habitats, including forest, secondary forest, and plantations, from sea level up to an elevation of about 1500 m.

Cyathea lepidoclada is a species of tree fern native to central and eastern New Guinea, where it is locally common in rain forest and mossy forest at an altitude of 200–1000 m. The trunk of this species is erect and usually 2–3 m tall. Fronds are bipinnate, about 1.5 m in length, and form a sparse crown. The stipe bears blunt spines and scales towards the base. These scales are glossy, dark brown in colouration, and have a paler, thin margin. The round sori are borne in groups of four to five per fertile segment. They are covered by deep, firm indusia that are cup-like in appearance.

References

↑ Heward Mag. Nat. Hist. II 2: 466 1838

Braggins, John E. & Large, Mark F. 2004. Tree Ferns. Timber Press, Inc., p. 138. ISBN 0-88192-630-2
Tindale, M. D. 1956. The Cyatheaceae of Australia. Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium 2: 327-361.
The International Plant Names Index: Cyathea grevilleana

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[1] Heward Mag. Nat. Hist. II 2: 466 1838