Cyathea parvula (Jenman) Domin
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Authority
Proctor, George R. 1989. Ferns of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 53: 1-389.
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Family
Cyatheaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants often loosely clustered; caudex slender, erect, up to 9 m tall, usually clothed with adherent persistent stipe bases (differing in this respect from related populations in Jamaica), the apical bud densely clothed with narrowly lancelinear bicolorous scales, Caudex sometimes producing branches near base, some of these extending to the ground and taking root. Fronds few, arching, mostly 0.7-1.5 m long; stipes 25-55 cm long, brown, minutely brownish-scurfy, armed with numerous conical spines to 3 mm long, and clothed toward base with bicolorous, lanceolate scales up to 1.5 cm long. Blades ovate, 0.6-1.2 m long, 40-75 cm broad below the middle, 2-pinnate-pinnatifid, acuminate at apex, narrowed at base; rhachis remotely muricate; pinnae rather few, short-stalked, articulate, oblong-acuminate, 20-38 cm long, 9-15 cm broad, the lowermost pair somewhat deflexed; costae glabrous or sometimes pubemlous in a line on adaxial side; pinnules 12-17 pairs, mostly shortstalked, 1-1.7 cm broad, long-acuminate at apex, incised nearly to costule; segments 11-12(-14) pairs, oblong-subfalcate, 2-4 mm broad, the apex obtuse or acutish, the margins crenate and often narrowly revolute; costules glabrous, often bearing one or two minute, dark brown, bullate scales beneath; veins mostly forked. Sori up to six pairs per segment, slightly inframedial; indusial scale proximal, castaneous, minute, appressed to vein and leaf tissue; receptacles globose, bearing numerous colorless submoniliform paraphyses longer than the sporangia.
Distribution and Ecology - General Distribution. Greater Antilles. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Confined to the westem mountains and Cordillera Central; recorded from Jayuya, Lares, Maricao, Mayagñez, and Utuado. Habitat. Wooded hillsides and moist thickets especially on serpentine (but not confined to serpentine), at middle to high elevations (400-1200 m), locally common.
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Discussion
Basionym. Alsophila parvula Jenman, J. Bot. 17: 258. 1879.
Type. Jenman 97, in 1879, from Jamaica (K, photos GH, NY, US, fragm. US).
Syn. Hemitelia microsepala Jenman, J. Bot. 24: 266. 1886. (Type. Sherrings.n., from Jamaica, B M, isotype US.)
Hemitelia parvula (Jenman) Baker, Ann. Bot. (London) 5: 188. 1891.
Alsophila aquilina Christ, Bot. Jahrb, Syst. 24: 83. 1897. (Type. Eggers 5117, from Cuba, fragm. US, isotypes F, P, etc.)
Alsophila gracilis Underwood & Maxon, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 577. 1902. (Type. Pollard, Palmer & Palmer 255, from Cuba, US, isotypes F, GH, MO.)
Alsophila aquilina var. maxonii Rosenstock, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 6: 179, 1908. (Type, Maxon 3910, from Cuba, isotypes G H , NY, US.)
Hemitelia minuscula Maxon, J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 18: 316. 1928. (Type. Ekman H-4365, from Haiti, isotype US.)
Cyathea aquilina (Christ) Domin, Pteridophyta 262. 1929.
Cyathea gracilescens Domin, I.e. (Based on Alsophila gracilis Underwood & Maxon, 1902, not Cyathea gracilis Grisebach, 1864.)
Cyathea parvula var. microsepala (Jenman) Domin, Acta Bot. Bohem. 9: 145. 1930.