Cyathea armata (Sw.) Domin

  • Authority

    Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.

  • Family

    Cyatheaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cyathea armata (Sw.) Domin

  • Description

    Species Description - Caudex 4-8(-15) m tall, 8-15 cm in diam., densely clothed toward apex with whitish, chaffy scales. Fronds 2-3 m long, arcuate-spreading; stipes up to 80 cm long, mostly 15-20 mm thick, light green or glaucous and succulent in life, drying light brown, armed with numerous straight sharp spines mostly 1-3 mm long, and densely clothed on adaxial side toward base with narrowly lanceattenuate scales up to 3.5 cm long, these whitish with a brown medial patch at base. Blades ovate, 2-2.5 m long, up to 1.2 m broad, 2-pinnatepinnatifid, short-acuminate at apex, slightly narrowed at base; rhachis conspicuously pubescent. the hairs mostly 1-2 mm long, pluricellular and flexuous from a glandular base, and also with a few small scattered spines or tubercles; costae, costules, and midveins similarly pubescent on both sides, the ultimate veins on abaxial side only, the costules also bearing numerous very much smaller glandular hairs abaxially; pinnae 15-20 pairs, lance-oblong, 30-65 cm long, 12-24 cm broad, acuminate; pinnules 25-35 pairs, sessile, linear-lanceolate or lance-oblong, 6-12 cm long, 1-2.2 cm broad, dull green adaxially, somewhat glaucous beneath; segments 23-28 pairs, linear-oblong from a dilatate base, 2-3 mm broad, acutish and subfalcate at apex, the margins crenate-bisenate, revolute in drying; midveins bearing a few minute whitish bullate scales abaxially near base; veins 9-12 pairs, forked below the middle, sparsely hairy abaxially. Sori inframedial; indusium totally lacking; receptacle capitate; paraphyses hairlike, very unequal in length, often gland-tipped.

    Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Greater Antilles. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Known only from Ceno de Punta, Ceno Maravilla, and vicinity in the Cordillera Central, first discovered there in 1973. Recorded from Jayuya and Ponce. Habitat. Montane thickets, steep wooded banks and open disturbed areas at high elevations (1200-1300 m), locally frequent.

  • Discussion

    Basionym. Polypodium armatum Swartz, Prodr. 134. 1788.

    Type. Swartz, from Jamaica (S; isotype SBT).

    Syn. Cyathea aculeata Willdenow ex Kaulfuss, Enum. filic. 255. 1824. (Type. Collector not stated, from Hispaniola, Herb. Willd. 20182, B.)

    Alsophila swartziana Martius, Icon. pl. crypt. 73, t. 49. 1834. (Based on Polypodium armatum Swartz, not Alsophila armata Martius, 1834.)

    Alsophila armata (Swartz) K, Presl, Tent, pterid. 62. 1836, not Martius, 1834.

    Alsophila aculeata (Willdenow ex Kaulfuss) Klotzsch, Linnaea 18: 540. 1844; 20:442. 1847, not J, Smith, 1842.

    Trichopteris armata (Swartz) R, Tryon, Contr, Gray Herb. 200:44. 1970.