Cyathea cooperi
(Hook. ex F.Muell.) DominTrunk erect, to 12 m tall, and 15 cm diam. Fronds to 3.5 m long. Stipe to 50 cm long, coarse, pale brown, dull, with scattered tubercles; scales (at base) tapering, to 50 mm long, papery, whitish or pale brown, edges dark-orange brown and finely barbed, each with an apical seta. Lamina subtriangular, 3-pinnate, lowest pinna-pair slightly shorter than rest, mid-green, paler, almost glaucous underneath; primary and secondary pinnae oblong-lanceolate to narrowly oblong with acute or acuminate tips; lower surface of rachises with narrow brown scales; ultimate rachises and base of midveins mealy-brown underneath due to numerous stellate hairs and deeply barbed scales; upper surface of rachises with pale curled hairs. Pinnules sessile with broad bases, margins shallowly crenate-serrate. Sori with ovoid hairy receptacle, indusia inconspicuous, consisting of narrow fringed scales at base of receptacle.
GipP, EGL, WPro. Native to Qld, NSW. Sparingly naturalised in Victoria, in shaded moist sites, establishing from spores of planted specimens (e.g. Heathmont, South Rosebud, Mallacoota). Sometimes co-occurring with native C. australis. This species is a serious weed of rainforests on some Hawaiian Islands.
This species may be confused with Cyathea cunninghamii in Victoria due to its slender trunk, and stellate-hairy undersurface of terminal rachises. However, C. cooperi is distinguished from that species by its slightly wider trunk (to 15 cm diameter), paler stipe-bases, longer, tapering, barbed, scales at the base of the stipe, and inconspicuous indusium.
Spinning
