Alsophila srilankensis (Ranil) Ranil

Rajapaksha, Ranil, 2021, Six new combinations and one new natural hybrid of ferns from Sri Lanka, Phytotaxa 511 (2), pp. 183-186 : 184

3. Alsophila srilankensis (Ranil) Ranil , comb. nov.

Basionym: Cyathea srilankensis Ranil (2010:39) .

Type:— SRI LANKA, Sabaragamuwa Province, Ratnapura District, Sinharaja forest , 542 m, R. H. G . Ranil 50 R, 15 May 2017 (holotype PDA!) .

Distribution:— Sri Lanka (endemic).

Note:—In Sri Lanka, A. srilankensis remotely resembles A. hookeri (Thwaites) R.M.Tryon from which it is easily distinguished by its larger trunk and leaves as well as by its pinnate to pinnatisect pinnae ( Ranil et al., 2010b). Also, it was clear that A. srilankensis is somewhat morphologically similar only to Alsophila humilis J.Sm. , which occurs in Tanzania and Kenya, and to Alsophila schliebenii Reimers in Tanzania. Though, Holttum (1981) suggested an affinity of Sri Lankan tree ferns with African elements, Janssen et al. (2008) claimed that Sri Lankan tree ferns form a monophyletic group not closely related to African tree ferns. However, the phylogenetic position of A. srilankensis remains to be further elucidated.