Cyathea Subg. Cyathea Sect. Gymnosphaera (Bl.) Holttum, stat. nov.
Content
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: India present, Ceylon present, Madagascar present, Malaysia present present, NE. Australia present, Pacific: Fiji (Fiji present), Southern America: Argentina Northeast (Formosa present); Guatemala (Guatemala present), southern China present
Madagascar; India and Ceylon, eastwards to southern China and Formosa; throughout Malaysia, eastwards to Fiji, and in NE. Australia. Alsophila salvinii Hook, of Guatemala has dark axes, reduced fertile pinnules and no indusia, but it may not be closely related to Malaysian species.
Taxonomy
There is no doubt that C. glabra and its immediate allies are a natural group of species, but none of the characters by which they are separated from sect. Cyathea is sharply definable, and a few species (notably C. macgillivrayi) appear to be intermediate. To the distinguishing characters given by Copeland, I have added hairiness of the lower surfaces of rachises; using this as a character which may occur in sect. Cyathea, almost all species which are exindusiate and have hairless lower surfaces belong to Gymnosphaera. I have included C. macgillivrayi in the keys to both sections.