Cyathea ledermannii

Cyathea ledermannii is a species of tree fern native to Papua New Guinea and Bougainville Province in the Solomon Islands, where it is common in submontane rain forest at an altitude of 1000-3000 m. The trunk of this plant is erect and grows to about 3 m in height. Fronds may be bi- or tripinnate and up to 2 m in length. The rachis is purplish brown in colouration and usually bears basal scales. These scales range from pale, to brown, to bicoloured (brown with a dark margin). Sori are borne on each side of the pinnule midvein. They are protected by firm indusia.

On New Guinea, the altitudinal distribution of C. ledermannii ranges from 1950-3000 m. It grows at lower elevations in the Solomon Islands. Braggins and Large (2004) note that spore material from higher elevations "may be worth cultivating for cooler climates", although the species is rare in cultivation.

The specific epithet ledermannii commemorates botanist Carl Ludwig Ledermann (1875-1958), who collected numerous plants in Papua New Guinea.

References

• Braggins, John E.; Large, Mark F. (2004). Tree Ferns. Timber Press. p. 152. ISBN 0-88192-630-2.