Cyathea arborea
| Cyathea arborea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cyathea arborea at El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pteridophyta |
| Class: | Pteridopsida |
| Order: | Cyatheales |
| Family: | Cyatheaceae |
| Genus: | Cyathea |
| Subgenus: | Cyathea |
| Section: | Cyathea |
| Species: | C. arborea |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyathea arborea (L.) Sm. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Polypodium arboreum L. | |
Cyathea arborea (Vernacular English: West Indian treefern[1] Vernacular Spanish: helecho gigante or palo camarón) is a plant of the Cyatheaceae family in the order of the Cyatheales.
The plant is native to the Caribbean, including Cuba, and the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico.
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.
The members of the Cyatheaceae family reproduce from spores produced in small cup-shaped sporansia on the bottom side of their leaves.[2][3]
References
- ↑ "Cyathaea arborea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ↑ 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. Árboles de Puerto Rico y exóticos. 3rd Edition. ISBN 0-9633435-8-0. Editorial Puerto Rico. 2000.
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