Cyathea catillifera
Encyclopedia
Cyathea catillifera is a species of tree fern
native to eastern New Guinea
, where it grows in montane scrub at an altitude of about 2800 m and above. It is a rare plant, known only from the type
locality. The erect trunk is up to about 1 m tall and 10 cm in diameter. Characteristically of this species, the trunk often branches at the base. Frond
s are bi- or tripinnate, 1-2 m long and may bear a pair of reduced pinnae towards the base. There are usually around six live fronds per crown at any one time. The stipe
is spiny, warty and pale on the upper surface to dark at the base. It is covered with scattered basal scale
s that are glossy dark brown and have a paler margin. Stipe
s are persistent with bases retained on the trunk. Sori
occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules and are covered by thin, brown indusia that are saucer-like in appearance.
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 eastern New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, where it grows in montane scrub at an altitude of about 2800 m and above. It is a rare plant, known only from the type
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
locality. The erect trunk is up to about 1 m tall and 10 cm in diameter. Characteristically of this species, the trunk often branches at the base. 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 bi- or tripinnate, 1-2 m long and may bear a pair of reduced pinnae towards the base. There are usually around six live fronds per crown at any one time. 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....
is spiny, warty and pale on the upper surface to dark at the base. It is covered with scattered basal scale
Scale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
s that are glossy dark brown and have a paler margin. 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....
s are persistent with bases retained on the trunk. 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....
occur near the midvein of fertile pinnules and are covered by thin, brown indusia that are saucer-like in appearance.