Cyathea, Smith, 1793

Lehnert, Marcus, 2016, A synopsis of the exindusiate species of Cyathea (Cyatheaceae-Polypodiopsida) with bipinnate-pinnatifid or more complex fronds, with a revision of the C. lasiosora complex, Phytotaxa 243 (1), pp. 1-53 : 3

Key to the exindusiate species of Cyathea with bipinnate-pinnatifid or more complex laminae

1 Petiole scales with margins reduced in distal parts to one row of cells that form short teeth to long ciliae, in basal parts with several marginal cell rows of different sizes and orientation; paraphyses originally longer than sporangia but fragile, or rarely just of the same length as the sporangia. ........................................................................................................................................................... 2

- Petiole scales with margins well developed, short teeth/long cilia absent or clearly end of diverging lines of increasingly narrower cells, paraphyses shorter to longer than sporangia. .......................................................................................................................... 3

2 Scale margins reduced to small teeth, scales not intergrading with hairs. ................................................. I. Group of C. poeppigii

- Scale margins with long cilia, scales intergrading with long hairs. ........................................................ III. Group of C. aterrima

3 Largest pinnules 10 × 2 cm or larger, sessile, proximal ones often reflexed and covering the rhachis, segments narrow, oblong to linear with biserrate to deeply crenulate margins and soft, firm-herbaceous laminar texture; pinnae predominantly to exclusively opposite, sessile or nearly so; petiole scales concolorous white to bicolorous with brown to black centers, never rufous or orange-brown. .......................................................................................................................................................... II. Group of C. armata

- Largest pinnules either smaller or with wider segments and/or firmer laminar texture, pinnules never reflexed but may be long-stalked; pinnae mostly alternate, sessile to long-stalked; petiole scales also concolorous brown to orange-brown to reddish. ......... .................................................................................................................................................................... IV. Group of C. pungens