Cyathea myosuroides (Liebm.) Domin

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Beitel, Joseph M. 1988. Pteridophyte Flora of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 46: 1-580.

  • Family

    Cyatheaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cyathea myosuroides (Liebm.) Domin

  • Description

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    Species Description - Trunk to 2-5 m tall, ca. 10 cm diam.; stipe prickly but lacking coarse spines, stipe dark brown, scales conform, dark brown, concolorous, with fringed margin, hairs of major axes not abundant, mostly lying flat; blade 1.5-4 m long, bipinnate-pinnatifid, firm to subcoriaceous; pinnae ca. 1.7 cm wide, stalked, 10-14 mm long; pinnules stalked, ca. 1-2 mm, lobed ca. halfway to segment midvein; veins once-forked; costules hairy above and below, segment hairs sparse above, few more below, occasional irregularly toothed dark scales on costule below; sori medial at the fork or more commonly up the acroscopic fork, receptacle pilose, indusium lacking.

  • Discussion

    Alsophila myosuroides Liebmann, Mexic. bregn. 236 (seors. 84). 1849. Sphaeropteris myosuroides (Liebmann) R. Tryon, Contr. Gray Herb. 200: 20. 1970. Type. Mexico. Oaxaca: Chinantla, between Lacoba and Teotalcingo, Liebmann [Pl. Mex. 2081, Fl. Mex. 514, 902, 905, 906, 907, 908] (C!; isotype US!). Cyathea myosuroides is distinguished by its castaneous stipe scales with many fine concolorous teeth and lack of an indusium. Furthermore, abundant epiphyllous lichens (Aulaxina quadrangula (Stirton) R. Santesson and three sterile Asterothyriaceae) give a distinct pale gray color to the blade. This and C. microdonta are the only species of tree fern in Mexico that occur also in the West Indies.

  • Distribution

    Wet montane forests; Choapan, Juchitán, Tuxtepec; 50-800 m. Mexico (Ver, Oax, Chis, Tab); Guat to Nic; Cuba.

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