Cyathea arborea
Cyathea arborea (Vernacular English: West Indian treefern[1] Vernacular Spanish: helecho gigante or palo camarón) is a plant of the family Cyatheaceae in the order Cyatheales. Tree ferns are an ancient form of plant life[2] that still survive in tropical forests. This species of tree fern is native to the Caribbean, including Cuba, and the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico.
Cyathea arborea | |
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Cyathea arborea at El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico | |
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Species: | C. arborea |
Binomial name | |
Cyathea arborea | |
Synonyms | |
Polypodium arboreum L. |
Description
This perennial fern can reach a height of 27 feet. It has a thornless trunk measuring from 3 to 5 inches. The surface of the trunk is hard with a soft, white core. Its crown has 10 or more leaves in the form of a fan. When they are young, its leaves are rolled up and as they grow they unroll until they reach their horizontal position. As with all ferns,[2] species of the Cyatheaceae reproduce from spores. These are produced in small sporangia on the bottom side of their leaves.[3][4]
Habitat and ecology
Tree ferns as a group are mostly found it wet tropical forest, with Cyathea arborea itself being found in locations such as such as Puerto Rican moist forests. While they can grow under a canopy, it is likely that natural disturbances such as landslides and hurricanes create gaps in the forest canopy that allow them to regenerate.[5]
References
- "Cyathaea arborea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- Sporne, K.R. (1970). The Morphology of Pteridophytes: The Structure of Ferns and Allied Plants (3 rd ed.). London: Hutchinson and Co.
- Mowbray, Alan M. Bosque Nacional del Caribe Guía Interpretativa de Palo Colorado. 2002. Servicio Forestal de los Estados Unidos. Bosque Nacional del Caribe.
- Miner Solá, E. (2000). Árboles de Puerto Rico y exóticos. 3rd Edition. ISBN 0-9633435-8-0. Editorial Puerto Rico.
- Keddy, Paul A. (2017). Plant Ecology: Origins, Processes, Consequences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-11423-4.
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