''Alsophila dryopteroides'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Cyathea dryopteroides'', is a

tree fern The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tree ...

native to

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

, where it grows where it grows in shaded areas and

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

at an altitude of 1000–1200 m. The erect trunk may be 1.3 m tall and approximately 5 cm in diameter. Fronds are

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

and up to 1.6 m long. The

rachis In biology, a rachis (from the grc, ῥάχις [], "backbone, spine") is a main axis or "shaft". In zoology and microbiology In vertebrates, ''rachis'' can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this c ...

is often purplish brown and covered with scales, usually on the underside. The scales range in colour from golden brown to bicoloured (pale with darker margins). Sori occur along each side of the

pinnule A leaflet (occasionally called foliole) in botany is a leaf-like part of a compound leaf. Though it resembles an entire leaf, a leaflet is not borne on a main plant stem or branch, as a leaf is, but rather on a petiole or a branch of the leaf. Co ...

midvein and

indusia A sorus (pl. sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. A coenosorus (plural coenosori) is a compound sorus composed of multiple, fused sori. Etymology This New Latin word is from Ancient Gr ...

are cup-like.

Taxonomy

The epithets used in the scientific name of this species are confused, . The species was first described by

William Ralph Maxon William Ralph Maxon, (February 27, 1877February 25, 1948) was an American botanist and pteridologist. He graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Philosophy, B.Ph. in biology, in 1898, and spent about one year at Columbia University do ...

in 1925 as ''Cyathea dryopteroides''. It was transferred to the genus '' Alsophila'' in 1970 by Rolla M. Tryon as ''Alsophila dryopteroides''. In 1981, David S. Conant said that the epithet ''dryopteroides'' was incorrectly formed, and under Article 73.8 of the version of the botanical code then current, the epithet should be corrected to ''dryopteridoides'', so that the names in ''Cyathea'' and ''Alsophila'' were ''Cyathea dryopteridoides'' and ''Alsophila dryopteridoides''. However, the latter name had already been used by Domin in 1929, so that ''Alsophila dryopteridoides'' (Maxon) R.M.Tryon was an illegitimate later homonym of ''Alsophila dryopteridoides'' Domin. Accordingly, Conant published the

replacement name In biological nomenclature, a ''nomen novum'' (Latin for "new name"), new replacement name (or replacement name, new substitute name, substitute name) is a scientific name that is created specifically to replace another scientific name, but only w ...

''Alsophila aminta''. The

International Plant Names Index The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) describes itself as "a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of seed plants, ferns and lycophytes." Coverage of plant names is best at the rank of species and genus. It inclu ...

(IPNI) accepts the legitimacy of Conant's analysis, noting that ''aminta'' is a noun in opposition.

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

and World Ferns retain the original ''dryopteroides''. As ''aminta'' honours Aminta Kitfield Conant, World Ferns, along with other sources, has changed ''aminta'' to ''amintae'' – epithets honouring people are normally in the genitive. Thus, , two main sets of names are in use:

References

External links

''Recovery Plan: Ilex Cookii/Cyathea dryopteroides.'' US FWS. Atlanta, Georgia. 1990.
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q17186037, from2=Q5197630, from3=Q50827065, from4=Q17185076 dryopteroides Endemic flora of Puerto Rico Flora without expected TNC conservation status