Cyathea ascendens

Cyathea ascendens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Pteridopsida
Order:	Cyatheales
Family:	Cyatheaceae
Genus:	Cyathea
Subgenus:	Cyathea
Section:	Alsophila
Species:	C. ascendens
Binomial name
Cyathea ascendens Domin, 1930
Synonyms
Alsophila rosenstockii Brause, 1920 (non Cyathea rosenstockii Brause, 1920)

Cyathea ascendens is a species of tree fern native to northeastern New Guinea, where it grows in rain forest at an altitude of 800-1000 m. The erect trunk is slim and 1-2 m tall. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and may be over 1 m in length. They form a distinctive open crown. The stipe is covered in glossy scales with pale, fragile adges. Sori occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules and lack indusia.

The specific epithet ascendens implies that the species is a good climber, although there is no evidence of a true climbing habit.

References

• Braggins, John E. & Large, Mark F. 2004. Tree Ferns. Timber Press, Inc., pp. 98-99. ISBN 0-88192-630-2
• The International Plant Names Index: Cyathea ascendens