Cyathea gleichenioides

Cyathea gleichenioides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Pteridopsida
Order:	Cyatheales
Family:	Cyatheaceae
Genus:	Cyathea
Subgenus:	Cyathea
Section:	Alsophila
Species:	C. gleichenioides
Binomial name
Cyathea gleichenioides C. Christensen, 1937
Synonyms
Alsophila gleichenioides (C. Christensen) Tryon, 1970

Cyathea gleichenioides is a species of tree fern endemic to New Guinea, where it grows in open peaty grassland and on forest margins, often in groups, at an altitude of 2800-3700 m. The trunk of this plant is erect, up to 3 m tall and about 24 cm in diameter. The narrow fronds are tripinnate and about 1 m in length. Around 60 fronds form a rounded crown.The stipe is warty and bears scattered scales towards the base. These scales may be either glossy brown with a paler dull margin, or small, pale and fringed. Sori occur one or two per fertile pinnule and are protected by firm, brown indusia.

C. gleichenioides is a variable species, similar to Cyathea imbricata. However, Cyathea macgregorii is thought to be its closest relative, differing only in minor details of frond morphology. Large and Braggins (2004) note that it is possible these variations are simply ecological, in which case the two taxa are conspecific and should be united.

References

• Braggins, John E. & Large, Mark F. 2004. Tree Ferns. Timber Press, Inc., p. 137. ISBN 0-88192-630-2
• The International Plant Names Index: Cyathea gleichenioides