Common name: Tree Fern
Cyathea howeana Domin APNI* Description: Trunk to 3 m tall, with round leaf scars below the crown; stipe bases not persistent.
Fronds: stipe with relatively few, caducous brown scales with pale margin and without terminal seta; costae and costules with numerous matted, pale bubble-like bullate scales 0.15–1 mm long, and some short, crumpled hairs below, with dense, long, pale, antrorse hairs above, few or absent on costules; lamina tripinnate; primary pinnae to 35 cm long, relatively shortly acuminate; secondary pinnae 4–7 cm long, 1–2 cm broad; largest pinnules 12–15 pairs, 5–9 mm long, 2–3 mm broad, free, deeply toothed, with teeth acute, usually reflexed.
Sori attached on one side, usually enclosed in deflexed pinnule lobes.
Distribution and occurrence: Lord Howe Is. Endemic; frequent on the slopes and tops of Mts Gower and Lidgbird.
NSW subdivisions: LHI
Text by E.A Brown
Taxon concept: Flora of Australia 49
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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