Cyathea microdonta (Desv.) Domin, Pteridophyta

Lehnert, Marcus & Kessler, Michael, 2018, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XX. Cyatheaceae, Phytotaxa 334 (2), pp. 118-134 : 128

Cyathea microdonta (Desv.) Domin, Pteridophyta 263. 1929.

= Trichipteris microdonta (Desv.) R.M.Tryon, Contr. Gray Herb. 200: 46. 1970.

Range: — Mexico to Trinidad, Cuba, Colombia to the Guianas, Ecuador to Bolivia (BE, CO, LP, SC), and Brazil.

Ecology: —Uncommon in lowland vegetation, avoiding deep shade, usually along water courses including road ditches and swamps; 220–750 m.

Notes: —Without doubt the most widespread tree fern in the Neotropics due to its adapation to an azonal vegetation type. Cyathea microdonta can become fertile at a small size and often produces suckers at the base of the trunk. Besides its unique long needle-like prickles on the costae, the species is not very distinctive in its morphology, and smaller plants may be mistaken for the weedy fern Macrothelypteris torresiana (Gaudich.) Ching ( Thelypteridaceae ) ( Smith & Kessler 2017).