Cyathea medullaris (G. Forst.) Sw., Cyatheaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Polypodium medullare G. Forst.; Sphaeropteris medullaris (G. Forst.) Bernh.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: black tree fern, sago fern

Habit:  fern

Description:  "Caudex up to 15 m. or more tall, and 30 cm. in diameter, except towards base much thickened by dense mass of rootlets, black, marked by hexagonal scars of fallen stipites. Stipes stout, black, to 1 m. long, up to ± 8 cm. in diameter near base; tuberculate; copiously clad towards base by black linear paleae c. 3 mm. long. Rhachis (and secondary rhachides and costae) stout, pale brown, muricate, clad in brownish hairs, later glabrate. Lamina up to c. 6 x 2 m., 2-3-pinnate, coriac., dark green above, pale green below. Primary pinnae up to 1 m. long, oblong-lanceolate, attenuate; secondary up to 15 cm. long, narrow-oblong attenuate. Pinnules c. 1 cm. long, lower distinct, upper confluent, narrow-oblong obtuse to acute, subfalcate, crenate-serrate to crenulately lobed; margins recurved, veins several times forked. Sori up to c. 16 per pinnule, 1 mm. or more in diameter, us. cop. Indusium thin, at first covering sorus, splitting irregularly"  (Allan, 1982; p. 41).

Habitat/ecology:  Lowland forest in New Zealand  (Allan, 1982; p. 41).

Propagation:  Spores

Native range:  New Zealand and Fiji; also cultivated (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fiji Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 7406 (PAP), D.H. Lorence , W.L. Wagner & J. Florence 6170 (PAP)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Vouchers cited: P.A. Schäfer 5632 (PAP), P.A. Schäfer 5913 (PAP)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 8427 (PAP)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Tahuata (Tuhuata) Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: K.R. Wood 6520 (PAP)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Vouchers cited: T.A. Ranker & P.G. Trapp 1904 (PAP), J. Florence 8820 (PAP), J. Florence 7790 (PAP), J. Florence 8820 (PAP)
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rapa Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 6360 (PAP)
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 5929 (PAP), J. Florence 6103 (PAP)
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Tubuai Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011)
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	native	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence & S. Waldren 11044 (PAP)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	native	Allan, H. H. (1982) (p. 41)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Cyathea medullaris is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Cyathea medullaris as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Cyathea medullaris may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Allan, H. H. 1982. Flora of New Zealand, vol. I: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. .

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.