Cyathea fenicis Information
Identification:
Trunks 1.2-1.8 m (4-6 ft.), 6 cm in diameter; stipes brown at base, 35-65 cm long, 1 cm in diameter, spiny and minutely scaly especially towards the base; Fronds 1.5-2 m long, deeply tripinnatifid; rachis greenish, minutely spiny, nearly smooth; pinnae to 30-40 cm long, the basal pair much shortened; pinnules 7-10 cm long, nearly sessile;ultimate segments serrulate; basal pair of pinnules narrowed at base; veins free, once forked; lower surface glabrous, with very few thin small scales along costa; upper surface hispid along costae and rachillae; rachillae bearing scattered, long, linear, narrow brown scales. Sori round, borne on forking veinlets; indusia a single basal scale borne on costal side.
General Information:
Cyathea fenicis grows in dark forest especially in ravines at an altitude of 200-550 m on the island mountains of Lanyu Island. The climate high on this island is cool moist cloud forest. A very rare species, and not known in cultivation. Listed in the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants as rare.
Distribution:
Native to, Philippines, Taiwan
Only found on the Mt. Iraya volcano, Batan Island, Philippines and Lanyu Island Taiwan.
Location: Lanyu Island Taiwan & the Philippines. (20.469685°N, 122.010384°E)