Cyathea kermadecensis is a species of tree fern

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...

 endemic

Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...

 to Raoul Island

Raoul Island

Anvil-shaped Raoul Island , the largest and northernmost of the main Kermadec Islands, , has been the source of vigorous volcanic activity during the past several thousand years that was dominated by dacitic explosive eruptions.The area of the island, including fringing islets and rocks...

 in the Kermadec Islands

Kermadec Islands

The Kermadec Islands are a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand's North Island, and a similar distance southwest of Tonga...

, where it is locally common in damp, and sometimes drier, forest and scrub. The trunk of this plant is erect, slender, and up to 20 m tall. It is often covered with scars of old 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....

-bases. 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 tripinnate and up to 4 m in length. The rachis

Rachis

Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...

 and 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....

 are both brown in colouration and bear basal scales

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...

 that are brown, glossy, and often twisted. 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....

 are borne on either side of the pinnule midvein. They are covered by hood-like indusia.

Braggins and Large (2004) note that C. kermadecensis is similar to Cyathea cunninghamii

Cyathea cunninghamii

Cyathea cunninghamii, also known as the gully tree fern and slender tree fern, is a species of tree fern native to Victoria, New South Wales, southeastern Queensland and Tasmania in Australia, as well as North Island, South Island and Chatham Islands in New Zealand...

.

C. kermadecensis should be cultivated in good humus and provided shade as well as shelter from the wind. Nevertheless, it is a hardy species that will survive full sun and slight frost.

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...

 kermadecensis refers to the Kermadec Islands. C. kermadecensis is one of two tree fern species endemic to the islands, the other being Cyathea milnei.