Cyathea annae
Encyclopedia
Cyathea annae is a species of tree fern
native to Ambon
in the Maluku Islands
, where it grows in forest from sea level to about 650 m. The erect trunk is slender and may be as tall as 3 m. Frond
s are bipinnate and 1-2 m in length. Characteristically of this species, the final pair of pinnae are usually reduced and occur towards the base of the stipe
. The stipe is dark, slender and covered with scattered scales. These are dark, glossy and have a pale dull margin. Fertile pinnules are normally short-lobed. Sori
lack indusia and occur two to four per pinnule lobe.
The specific epithet
annae commemorates Anna Smith (wife of Johannes Jacobus Smith
(1867-1947)), who apparently collected the plant on Ambon at the turn of the 20th century. C. annae was described in 1916 based on a plant cultivated at the Bogor Botanic Gardens in Java
.
Cyatheales
The order Cyatheales is a taxonomic division of the fern subclass, Cyatheatae, which includes the tree ferns. No clear morphological features characterize all of the Cyatheales, but DNA sequence data indicates that the order is monophyletic. Some species in the Cyatheales have tree-like growth...
native to Ambon
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
in the Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
, where it grows in forest from sea level to about 650 m. The erect trunk is slender and may be as tall as 3 m. Frond
Frond
The term frond refers to a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group...
s are bipinnate and 1-2 m in length. Characteristically of this species, the final pair of pinnae are usually reduced and occur towards the base of the stipe
Stipe (botany)
In botany, a stipe is a stalk that supports some other structure. The precise meaning is different depending on which taxonomic group is being described....
. The stipe is dark, slender and covered with scattered scales. These are dark, glossy and have a pale dull margin. Fertile pinnules are normally short-lobed. Sori
Sorus
A sorus is a cluster of sporangia .In fungi and lichens, the sorus is surrounded by an external layer. In some red algae it may take the form of a depression into the thallus....
lack indusia and occur two to four per pinnule lobe.
The specific epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
annae commemorates Anna Smith (wife of Johannes Jacobus Smith
Johannes Jacobus Smith
Johannes Jacobus Smith was a Dutch botanist who, between years 1905 to 1924, crossed the islands of the Dutch East Indies , collecting specimens of plants and describing and cataloguing the flora of these islands...
(1867-1947)), who apparently collected the plant on Ambon at the turn of the 20th century. C. annae was described in 1916 based on a plant cultivated at the Bogor Botanic Gardens in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
.