Biology:Alsophila gigantea

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Short description: Species of fern

Alsophila gigantea
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Cyatheales
Family: Cyatheaceae
Genus: Alsophila
Species:
A. gigantea
Binomial name
Alsophila gigantea
Wall. ex Hook.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Alsophila balakrishnanii (R.D.Dixit & Tripathi) R.D.Dixit
  • C.Presl Christ
  • Ching & S.H.Wu Wall.
  • Cyathea petiolulata Alsophila umbrosa
  • Ching & S.H.Wu Polypodium umbrosum
  • Alsophila polycampta Wall. ex Ridl.
  • Ching & S.H.Wu Wall.
  • Cyathea tinganensis Cyathea balakrishnanii
  • Ching & S.H.Wu Alsophila helferiana
  • Kunze R.D.Dixit & A.K.Tripathi
  • (Wall. ex Hook.) C.Presl Cyathea pseudogigantea
  • Gymnosphaera gigantea Cyathea gigantea
  • (Wall. ex Hook.) J.Sm. Gymnosphaera gigantea
  • Alsophila rheosora (Wall. ex Hook.) Holttum
  • (Wall. ex Hook.) S.Y.Dong Dichorexia gigantea
  • Polypodium giganteum Cyathea pectinata

Alsophila gigantea, synonym Cyathea gigantea,[1] 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.[2]

Large and Braggins (2004) note that A. gigantea is very similar to Alsophila glabra and appears to form part of a complex that also includes Alsophila podophylla and Alsophila subdubia. Further study is needed to determine the nature of the relationship between these taxa.[2]

The specific epithet gigantea refers, at least in part, to the large fronds.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hassler, Michael; Schmitt, Bernd (June 2019), "Alsophila gigantea", Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World (version 8.02), https://worldplants.webarchiv.kit.edu/ferns/, retrieved 2019-09-15 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Large, Mark F.; Braggins, John E. (2004), Tree Ferns, Timber Press, p. 136, ISBN 978-0-88192-630-9, https://archive.org/details/treeferns00mark/page/136 

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