Sphaeropteris cooperi, synonym Cyathea cooperi, also known as lacy tree fern, scaly tree fern, or Cooper's tree fern, is a tree fern native to Australia, in New South Wales and Queensland.
Gymnosphaera andersonii, synonyms Alsophila andersonii and Cyathea andersonii, is a species of tree fern native to the eastern Himalayas of India, Bhutan, and Tibet, Myanmar, and south-central China, where it grows in moist valleys and montane forest at an elevation of 300–1200 m. The trunk is erect and 6–10 m tall. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and 2–3 m long. The entire plant is relatively dark in appearance; the rachis is flushed with dark purple and the stipe is dark, almost to the point of being black. Dark, lanceolate scales with pale fringes are sparsely scattered along the length of the stipe. Sori occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules and lack indusia.
Gymnosphaera annae, synonyms Alsophila annae and Cyathea annae, is a species of tree fern native Sulawesi and to Ambon in the Maluku Islands, where it grows in forest from sea level to about 650 m. The erect trunk is slender and may be as tall as 3 m. Fronds are bipinnate and 1–2 m in length. Characteristically of this species, the final pair of pinnae are usually reduced and occur towards the base of the stipe. The stipe is dark, slender and covered with scattered scales. These are dark, glossy and have a pale dull margin. Fertile pinnules are normally short-lobed. Sori lack indusia and occur two to four per pinnule lobe.
Gymnosphaera atropurpurea, synonyms Alsophila atropurpurea and Cyathea atropurpurea, is a species of tree fern native to the islands of Luzon, Mindanao, Leyte and Mindanao in the Philippines, where it grows in forest at above 1000 m. The erect trunk is slender and may be up to 3 m tall. Fronds are bipinnate and 1–2 m long. Characteristically of this species, the final pair of pinnae are usually reduced and occur towards the base of the stipe. These, along with the stipe bases, are persistent and retained around the trunk long after withering. The stipe itself is dark and covered with scales, which are either small, dull and brown or large, dark and glossy. Sori occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules and lack indusia. Fertile pinnules are notably smaller than sterile ones.
Alsophila buennemeijeri, synonym Cyathea buennemeijeri, is a species of tree fern endemic to the Natuna Islands in Indonesia. In the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, these islands are treated as part of Kalimantan. A. buennemeijeri grows in open scrub at an altitude of about 600 m. This rare species is known only from the summits of two low hills. The trunk is erect and may be 5 m tall or more. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and 2–3 m long. The stipe is dark and covered with spines at the base, as well as numerous scattered dark scales with pale, fragile edges. Sori occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules and are covered by thin, fragile indusia that resemble cups in shape.
Alsophila caudata, synonym Cyathea caudata, is a species of tree fern native to the islands of Luzon and Mindanao in the Philippines, where it grows in montane forest. The trunk is erect and up to 4 m tall or more. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and 1–2 m long. The stipe is warty and covered with dark, narrow, glossy scales. Sori are borne near the midvein of fertile pinnules and are protected by firm, brown indusia. As of April 2022, Plants of the World Online treated it as a synonym of Alsophila speciosa.
Alsophila costularis, synonyms Cyathea chinensis and Sphaeropteris chinensis, is a species of tree fern native to Yunnan in China, Sikkim in India, as well as Nepal, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Plants grow in forest and montane forest at an altitude of 900–1800 m. The trunk is erect and 1–2 m tall. Fronds are bipinnate and 1–2 m long. The stipe is either long and warty or has short spines towards the base as well as scattered glossy dark brown scales with fragile edges. Sori occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules and are covered by thin indusia.
Alsophila hermannii, synonym Cyathea christiiCopel., is a species of tree fern endemic to Mindanao in the Philippines, where it grows in forest at an altitude of 900–1800 m. The trunk is erect and may be 5 m tall or more. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and 2–3 m long. The stipe is covered with some warts and narrow, brown scales. Sori occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules and are covered by thin, fragile indusia.
Alsophila costalisora, synonym Cyathea costalisora, is a species of tree fern native to western New Guinea, where it grows on the edges of forest and in moist hollows at an altitude of 1900–3225 m. The trunk is erect, up to 4 m tall and may branch near the base. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and 1–1.5 m long. The stipe is warty, especially where scales have fallen. The scales are pale and have a distinctive dark glossy central region, with a paler dull margin. Sori are round and occur near the fertile pinnule midvein. They are covered by firm, dark indusia that are cup-like in appearance.
Alsophila dregei, synonym Cyathea dregei, is a widespread species of tree fern in southern Africa.
Alsophila dryopteroides, synonym Cyathea dryopteroides, is a tree fern native to Puerto Rico, where it grows where it grows in shaded areas and cloud forest at an altitude of 1000–1200 m. The erect trunk may be 1.3 m tall and approximately 5 cm in diameter. Fronds are pinnate and up to 1.6 m long. The rachis is often purplish brown and covered with scales, usually on the underside. The scales range in colour from golden brown to bicoloured. Sori occur along each side of the pinnule midvein and indusia are cup-like.
Gymnosphaera glabra, synonyms Alsophila glabra and Cyathea glabra, is a species of tree fern native to Borneo, western Java, Sumatra, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, 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.
Gymnosphaera denticulata, synonyms Alsophila acaulis, Alsophila denticulata and Cyathea hancockii, is a species of tree fern native to Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, southern China, Hong Kong, and Hainan. It grows in forest, on stream banks, and in forest margins at an elevation of about 600 m or higher. The specific epithet hancockii commemorates William Hancock (1847-1914), who collected numerous plants in Japan, China and Southeast Asia.
Alsophila hookeri, synonym 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.
Gymnosphaera hornei is a species of tree fern in the Cyatheaceae family.
Alsophila khasyana, synonym Cyathea khasyana, is a species of tree fern. Its natural distribution extends from India to Myanmar, although it is absent from Sri Lanka. A. khasyana grows in forest at an altitude of 1400–1700 m. The trunk of this plant is erect and 5–7 m tall. Fronds may be bi- or tripinnate and 2–3 m in length. A. khasyana has a long, dark stipe that is covered in numerous scales. These scales are dark and have broad, pale, fringed edges. Sori are borne near the midvein of fertile pinnules and lack indusia.
Alsophila arfakensis, synonym Cyathea kanehirae, is a species of tree fern native to western New Guinea, where it grows in montane forest at an altitude of 1600–2700 m. The trunk of this plant is erect and 1–4 m tall. Fronds may be bi- or tripinnate and 1–2 m in length. The rachis is smooth, while the stipe is dark and warty. The stipe is covered with flat, brown, scattered scales. Sori are borne near the fertile pinnule midvein. They are protected by small indusia that are cup-like in appearance.
Alsophila crassicaula, synonym Cyathea ledermannii, is a species of tree fern native to Papua New Guinea and Bougainville Province in the Solomon Islands, where it is common in submontane rain forest at an altitude of 1000–3000 m. The trunk of this plant is erect and grows to about 3 m in height. Fronds may be bi- or tripinnate and up to 2 m in length. The rachis is purplish brown in colouration and usually bears basal scales. These scales range from pale, to brown, to bicoloured. Sori are borne on each side of the pinnule midvein. They are protected by firm indusia.
Alsophila is a genus of tree ferns in the family Cyatheaceae. It has also been considered to be a section in the subgenus Cyathea of the genus Cyathea.
Alsophila borbonica, synonym Cyathea borbonica, is a tree fern endemic to Mauritius and Réunion. There are several natural forms and varieties.
