Cyathea camerooniana

Cyathea camerooniana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Pteridopsida
Order:	Cyatheales
Family:	Cyatheaceae
Genus:	Cyathea
Subgenus:	Cyathea
Section:	Alsophila
Species:	C. camerooniana
Binomial name
Cyathea camerooniana W. J. Hooker, 1865
Varieties
C. c. var. camerooniana W. J. Hooker, 1865 C. c. var. aethiopica (Welwitsch ex W. J. Hooker) Holttum, 1981 C. c. var. congi (Christ) Holttum, 1981 C. c. var. currorii Holttum, 1981 C. c. var. occidentalis Holttum, 1981 C. c. var. ugandensis Holttum, 1981 C. c. var. zenkeri (W. P. Hiern ex Diels) Benl, 1978
Synonyms
Alsophila camerooniana (W. J. Hooker) Tryon, 1970 Alsophila aethiopica Welwitsch ex W. J. Hooker, 1866 Cyathea aethiopica Domin, 1929 Alsophila zenkeri W. P. Hiern ex Diels, 1899 Cyathea zenkeri (W. P. Hiern ex Diels) Domin, 1929

Cyathea camerooniana is a species of tree fern native to Sierra Leone, Cameroon, northern Angola and western Uganda, where it grows in montane forest at an altitude of 900-1200 m. The trunk is erect and 2-3 m tall. Fronds are pinnate and 2-3 m long. The rachis ranges in colour from dark to pale and has some hairs on the underside. The stipe is dark and is covered with scales throughout. Where scales have fallen, small warts are present. The scales are glossy brown and have a thin, dull edge. Sori occur at the forks of veins and are covered by thin indusia, which range in shape from cup- to saucer-like.

C. camerooniana is a highly variable species. Several varieties have been described based on minor frond and indusial differences. C. c. var. ugandensis is the only representative of this species present in Uganda and is the most isolated variety.

References

• Braggins, John E. & Large, Mark F. 2004. Tree Ferns. Timber Press, Inc., p. 109. ISBN 0-88192-630-2
• The International Plant Names Index: Cyathea camerooniana