Alsophila spinulosa

Alsophila spinulosa, also known as the flying spider-monkey tree fern, is a species of tree fern in the family Cyatheaceae.[1]

Alsophila spinulosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Cyatheales
Family: Cyatheaceae
Genus: Alsophila
Species:
A. spinulosa
Binomial name
Alsophila spinulosa
(Wall. ex Hook.) R.M.Tryon[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Alsophila boninsimensis (Christ ex Diels) Christ
  • Alsophila confucii Christ
  • Alsophila decipiens J.Scott ex Bedd.
  • Alsophila fauriei Christ
  • Alsophila taiwaniana Nakai
  • Amphicosmia decipiens (J.Scott ex Bedd.) Bedd.
  • Cyathea austrosinica Christ
  • Cyathea boninsimensis (Christ ex Diels) Copel.
  • Cyathea confucii (Christ) Copel.
  • Cyathea decipiens (J.Scott ex Bedd.) C.B.Clarke & Baker
  • Cyathea fauriei (Christ) Copel.
  • Cyathea spinulosa Wall.
  • Cyathea taiwaniana Nakai
  • Hemitelia beddomei C.B.Clarke
  • Hemitelia boninsimensis Christ ex Diels
  • Hemitelia decipiens (J.Scott ex Bedd.) J.Scott

Description

The trunk of this species can grow to a height of 5 m or more. The stipes are persistent, spiny and purplish towards the base, and covered in brown shiny scales. Fronds are 1–3 m long and three-limbed. The sori, producing the spores, are large and round. Like many tree ferns, it features a "skirt" of dead leaves that do not drop off the crown and form a barrier for parasitic climbing plants.[2]

Distribution and habitat

A. spinulosa occurs in humus soils in shadowed forest locations, and is widely distributed across Asia including China, Nepal, India, Burma, Myanmar, and Japan.[3][2]

Use by humans

The stems are rich in starch and edible. Stem chips also see use as fern chips as a substrate for the cultivation of orchids.[2]

Genome

In May 2022, the genome of A. spinulosa, was sequenced by Huang et al. and showed whole-genome duplication had occurred approximately 100 million years ago; since then, evidence of the sequencing suggests, the genome has remained stable.[4][5] It was only the third time a fern's entire genome had been entirely mapped, and the first instance of a fern with a genome of this size being sequenced.

References
  1. Hassler, Michael & Schmitt, Bernd (June 2019). "Alsophila spinulosa". Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World. Vol. 8. Archived from the original on 2017-09-02. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  2. T. C. Huang, ed. (1994). Flora of Taiwan. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Taipei: Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan. p. 148.
  3. "Cyathea spinulosa Wall". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  4. Huang, Xiong; Wang, Wenling; Gong, Ting; Wickell, David; Kuo, Li-Yaung; Zhang, Xingtan; Wen, Jialong; Kim, Hoon; Lu, Fachuang; Zhao, Hansheng; Chen, Song; Li, Hui; Wu, Wenqi; Yu, Changjiang; Chen, Su (May 2022). "The flying spider-monkey tree fern genome provides insights into fern evolution and arborescence". Nature Plants. 8 (5): 500–512. doi:10.1038/s41477-022-01146-6. ISSN 2055-0278. PMC 9122828. PMID 35534720. S2CID 248668428.
  5. Whang, Oliver (2022-09-12). "Cracking the Case of the Giant Fern Genome". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
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