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Cyathea australis - Rough Treefern (Subg. CYATHEA, sect. Cyathea)
IDENTIFYING FEATURES:
* fairly straight, uniform, thick (often around 20 cm) trunk, covered (at least in the upper sections) with old stipe bases ... long reddish-brown scales between stipe bases near crown, some root growth may be apparent lower down, sometimes forming a substantial thickened base ... stipe bases armed with many short sharp prickles
* a very common treefern in Tasmania & Victoria, being abundant in moist mountain forest gullies along with Dicksonia antarctica, but tends to also grow on the dryer slopes above the gullies ... also growing in New South Wales and Queensland
* crown and croziers covered with flat reddish-brown scales to about 2 cm long
* sori spherical, away from the pinnule margin, indusium missing |
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..... and the crown does make a convenient daytime nest for Brush-tailed Possums. These nocturnal marsupials have adapted very well to city life, much to the dismay of many suburban gardeners. Apparently treefern croziers are a favourite delicacy, and close investigation has revealed that it has chewed off all the emerging fronds ans croziers to make a nice flat sleeping platform ... how 'cute' is that!!! Needless to say I was not impressed, and after a few mornings being disturbed from its slumber by a long-handled broom, it has finally given up using this particular bed. A few months down the track and I am pleased to say that new fronds have emerged from the crown, so no permanent damage has been caused this time. |
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