Alsophila spinulosa
Species of fern
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  | |
| 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] | |
| |
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
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 sequenced genome of A. spinulosa, was published 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 nuclear genome had been mapped, and the first instance of a fern with a genome of this size being sequenced.
