Cyathea imrayana

Cyathea imrayana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Pteridopsida
Order:	Cyatheales
Family:	Cyatheaceae
Genus:	Cyathea
Subgenus:	Cyathea
Section:	Alsophila
Species:	C. imrayana
Binomial name
Cyathea imrayana W. J. Hooker, 1844
Varieties
C. i. var. imrayana W. J. Hooker, 1844 C. i. var. caribaea (Jenman) Proctor, 1961
Synonyms
Nephelea imrayana (W. J. Hooker) Tryon, 1970 Alsophila imrayana (W. J. Hooker) Conant, 1983 Cyathea caribaea Jenman, 1898

Cyathea imrayana is a species of tree fern native to Dominica, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador. C. imrayana grows in submontane rain forest understory and on riverbanks at an altitude of 1000-2000 m. This species has an erect trunk that is 8-10 m tall and 10-15 cm in diameter. It is covered with sharp, blackish spines and pale brown hairs. Fronds are bipinnate, 2-3 m in length, and occur in whorls of five. The crown is large and spreading, especially in young plants. The rachis and stipe range in colouration from brown to dark brown and bear bicoloured scales (brown center and paler margin) with a terminal seta. Scales on pinnule veins are whitish. Sori are round and borne on either side of the pinnule midvein, towards the base of the pinnule segment. They are protected by red-brown, globose indusia.

Two distinct varieties of this species are known. C. i. var. caribaea, which was originally described as a species, is endemic to the island of Saint Vincent.

The specific epithet imrayana commemorates plant collector John Imray (1811-1880), who collected the type material.

C. imrayana is not to be confused with Cyathea imrayana ((W. J. Hooker) Domin, 1929), a synonym of Cnemidaria grandifolia.

References

• Braggins, John E. & Large, Mark F. 2004. Tree Ferns. Timber Press, Inc., pp. 145-146. ISBN 0-88192-630-2
• The International Plant Names Index: Cyathea imrayana