Family

Cyatheaceae

Nomenclature

Cyathea podophylla (Hook.) Copel., Philipp. J. Sci. 4: 33. 1909; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 81. 1939; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 18. 1961; Holttum, Kew Bull. 19: 475. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5:46. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 104. 1979; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 46, 114. 2000; Newman et al., Checkl. Vasc. Pl. Lao PDR: 26. 2007. – Alsophila podophylla Hook., J. Bot. 9: 334. 1857; Hook., Sec. Cent. Ferns: t. 66. 1861; R.M.Tryon, Contr. Gray Herb. 200: 32. 1970.

Alsophila kohchangensis C.Chr., Bot. Tidsskr. 32: 417. 1916.

Cyathea podophylla var. occulata C.Chr. & Tardieu, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris) 10: 449. 1934; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 82. 1939.

Alsophila glabra auct. non (Blume) Hook.: Bonap., Notes Ptérid. 14: 417. 1923.

Description

Trunks up to 1 m tall. Stipes about 50 cm or more long, dark purplish, polished, warty, shortly spiny, scaly near base; scales to 3 cm long, 2.5 mm broad, brown, stiff, shining, edges ferrugineous, narrow, dark, nearly black; pneumathodes in a single row, interrupted; main rachis castaneous, minutely scaly; lower pinnae not reduced, up to 60 cm or more long, up to 23 cm wide; pinna-rachis hairy on upper surface, minutely scaly beneath; pinnules about 25 in pairs with lobed terminal pinnae, shortly stalked, patent or ascending, more or less falcate, lanceolate, gradually narrowing towards caudately acuminate apex, broadly cuneate at base, up to 12 cm long, 1.7 cm broad, subentire at margin or very shallowly serrate at least at distal portion; costae hairy on both surfaces scaly underneath with dark ferrugineous margin; not bullate; papyraceous, green, veins pinnate, veinlets simple, all free or basal veinlets of vein groups forking once and reuniting before margin to form distinct loops. Sori close to main veins, naked; receptacles not so swollen.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTH-EASTERN: Loei; EASTERN: Ubon Ratchathani; CENTRAL: Nakhon Nayok; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi, Trat; PENINSULAR: Surat Thani, Phangnga, Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Distribution in Laos

Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang.

Distribution in Cambodia

Kampot

Wider Distribution

S China, Indochina, Taiwan and the Ryukyus.

Ecology

On mountain slopes usually near streams in shade at 800–1200 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

Least Concern (LC). Although Cyathea species are often exploited for the horticultural industry (mainly for their trunks as a base for epiphytic orchids) this species is widespread and not noticeably being adversely impacted.  Monitoring is necessary.

Notes

Fibrous trunk used for orchid media.

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 5188, Ubon Ratchathani, Phu Chong Nayoi National Park (E); Middleton et al. 4393 & 4412, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Namtok Yong National Park (E).