Cyathea gigantea

Cyathea gigantea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Pteridopsida
Order:	Cyatheales
Family:	Cyatheaceae
Genus:	Cyathea
Subgenus:	Cyathea
Section:	Alsophila
Species:	C. gigantea
Binomial name
Cyathea gigantea (Wallich ex W. J. Hooker) Holttum, 1935
Synonyms
Alsophila gigantea Wallich ex W. J. Hooker, 1844

Cyathea gigantea is a species of tree fern native to northeastern to southern India, Sri Lanka, Nepal to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, as well as central Sumatra and western Java. It grows in moist open areas at an altitude of 600-1000 m. The trunk of this species is erect and may be as tall as 5 m or more. Fronds are bi- or tripinnate and usually 2-3 m long. The rachis is long, dark to black in colouration and rough in appearance after the fall of scales. These scales are dark brown, glossy and have a narrow paler margin and fragile edges. Sori are round and indusia absent.

Large and Braggins (2004) note that C. gigantea is very similar to Cyathea glabra and appears to form part of a complex that also includes Cyathea podophylla and Cyathea subdubia. Further study is needed to determine the nature of the relationship between these taxa.

The specific epithet gigantea refers, at least in part, to the large fronds.

References

• Braggins, John E. & Large, Mark F. 2004. Tree Ferns. Timber Press, Inc., p. 136. ISBN 0-88192-630-2
• The International Plant Names Index: Cyathea gigantea