Alsophila capensis J.Sm.

Species

Pteridophytes > Cyatheales > Cyatheaceae > Alsophila

Characteristics

Caudex slender, up to 3 m high, up to 100 mm in diam., covered by adventitious roots. Fronds up to 16 per plant, caespitose, arching, up to 1.8 m long. Stipe greenish brown, up to 80 mm long, up to 8 mm in diam., proximally densely scaled, larger scales bicolorous, central region crustaceous, castaneous, margins membranous, stramineous, narrowly lanceolate-acuminate, up to 12 x 1.5 mm. Lamina ovate to elliptic, 2-pinnate-pinnatifid, up to 1.6 x 0.67 m, with up to 14 pinna pairs. Pinnae petiolate, basal pinna pair (aphlebia) curled, ovate, 1-or 2-pinnate, segments thinly herbaceous, much reduced, up to 170 x 110 mm, always forming a tangled mass in the crown, pinnae higher up to 1-pinnate-pinnatifid, lanceolate to oblong-acuminate, up to 340 x 130 mm, with up to 20 petiolate pinnule pairs. Sori up to 3 pairs on each segment, circular. Indusium cupular to flabellate, repand to irregularly lobed.
More
Caudex slender, c. 0.1 m in diameter and up to 4.5 m high. Fronds arching, herbaceous; stipe pale brown ventrally, dark purplish brown dorsally, sparsely set when young with narrowly lanceolate, castaneous scales c. 10 mm long with paler lacerate margins; lamina elliptic, deeply 3-pinnatifid, up to 2 x 0.8 m; pinnae oblong, attenuate, up to 0.46 x 0.16 m, pinnate into very narrowly oblong, attenuate, deeply pinnatifid pinnules; pinnule segments dentate, narrowly oblong, somewhat falcate, acute, upper surface glabrous, under surface set with pale bullate scales along costules; rhachis pale to dark brown, smooth, glabrous. Sori 1-2 at base of each pinnule segment, c. 1 mm in diameter, with paraphyses; indusium asymmetric.
Shrub or tree with caudex to 4.5 m high, slender. Fronds arching, to 2.5 m long, stipe scaled, lamina to 3-pinnatifid, pinnule segments narrowly oblong, dentate, with bullate scales along costules beneath. Sori 1 or 2 at base of each pinnule segment, indusium asymmetric.
Caudex slender ± 0.1 m in diameter and up to 4.5 m high. Aphlebia (basal pinnae with filiform segments) present. Ultimate pinnule segments sharply denate and set with bullate costal scales below. Sori 1 or 2 at base of each pinnule segment.
Life form -
Growth form
Growth support free-standing
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Mature height (meter) 4.5
Root system adventitious-root
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Environment

Light -
Soil humidity 4-6
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Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
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Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

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Distribution

Alsophila capensis world distribution map, present in Brazil and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:17016240-1
WFO ID wfo-0001110752
COL ID C84H
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Alsophila capensis