Gymnosphaera is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 ...

s in family

Cyatheaceae The Cyatheaceae are a family of ferns, the scaly tree ferns, one of eight families in the order Cyatheales in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Alternatively, the family may defined much more broadly (Cyatheaceae '' ...

Taxonomy

The genus was originally described by

Carl Ludwig Blume Charles Ludwig de Blume or Karl Ludwig von Blume (9 June 1796, Braunschweig – 3 February 1862, Leiden) was a German-Dutch botanist. He was born at Braunschweig in Germany, but studied at Leiden University and spent his professional life wor ...

in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the

Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus on the classification of pteridophytes (lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relation ...

classification of 2016 (PPG I), ''Gymnosphaera'' was left as a synonym of ''Alsophila'', as evidence to support its reliable separation was lacking. More recently, Shi-Yong Dong and collaborators proposed the revival and recircumscription of the genus based on additional phylogenetic evidence, an act subsequently accepted by other tree fern workers.

List of species

, the following species are accepted in the genus as currently circumscribed by the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World: *'' Gymnosphaera acrostichoides'' (Alderw.) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera alticola Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' Tardieu *'' Gymnosphaera andersonii'' (J.Scott ex Bedd.) Ching & S.K.Wu *'' Gymnosphaera andohahelensis'' (Tardieu) Tardieu *'' Gymnosphaera annae'' (Alderw.) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera atropurpurea Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Copel.) Copel. *''

Gymnosphaera austroyunnanensis Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (S.G.Lu) S.G.Lu & Chun X.Li *'' Gymnosphaera bachmaensis'' S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera baileyana Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Domin) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera biformis Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Rosenst.) Copel. *''

Gymnosphaera boivinii Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Mett. ex Ettingsh.) Tardieu *''

Gymnosphaera bonii Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Christ) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera capensis Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (L.fil.) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera commutata ''Gymnosphaera commutata'' is a Malesian species of tree fern found in wet and swampy forests. Description The trunk is erect and rarely taller than 3 m. Fronds are bipinnate and 1–2 m long. Characteristically of this species, the lowest pair ...

'' (Mett.) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera denticulata ''Alsophila acaulis'', synonyms ''Alsophila denticulata'' and ''Cyathea hancockii'', is a species of tree fern native to the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The specific epithet ''hancockii'' commemorates William Hancock (1847-1914) ...

'' (Baker) Copel. *''

Gymnosphaera dimorpha Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Christ) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera gigantea Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Wall. ex Hook.) J.Sm. *''

Gymnosphaera glabra ''Alsophila glabra'', synonym ''Cyathea glabra'', is a species of tree fern native to Borneo, western Java, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, where it grows in lowland swamp forest and montane forest at an elevation of up to 1500 m. The trunk of t ...

'' Blume *''

Gymnosphaera henryi Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Baker) S.R.Ghosh *''

Gymnosphaera hornei Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Baker) Copel. *''

Gymnosphaera impolita Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Rakotondr. & Janssen) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera khasyana Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (T.Moore ex Kuhn) Ching *''

Gymnosphaera lurida Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Blume) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera metteniana ''Gymnosphaera metteniana'', synonyms ''Alsophila metteniana'' and ''Cyathea metteniana'', is a species of tree fern native to the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, Taiwan, and southern China, where it grows in wet forest, forest margins, and on hillsides. ...

'' (Hance) Tagawa *'' Gymnosphaera mildbraedii'' (Brause) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera nicklesii'' Tardieu & F.Ballard ex Tardieu *'' Gymnosphaera ogurae'' (Hayata) Tagawa *''

Gymnosphaera olivacea ''Gymnosphaera olivacea'' is a species of tree fern endemic to eastern New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surroundin ...

'' (Brause) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera phlebodes Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae. Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of '' Cyathea'' or '' Alsophila''. In the Pteridophyte ...

'' (Lehnert & Coritico) S.Y.Dong *''

Gymnosphaera podophylla ''Gymnosphaera podophylla'', synonyms ''Alsophila podophylla'' and ''Cyathea podophylla'', is a widespread species of tree fern native to southern China, Hainan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, the Ryukyu Islands, and Japan ...

'' (Hook.) Copel. *'' Gymnosphaera poolii'' (C.Chr.) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera ramispina'' (Hook.) Copel. *'' Gymnosphaera ramispinoides'' (M.Kato) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera rebeccae'' (F.Muell.) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera rouhaniana'' (Rakotondr. & Janssen) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera rubella'' (Holttum) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera salletii'' (Tardieu & C.Chr. ex C.Chr. & Tardieu) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera salvinii'' (Hook.) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera saxicola'' S.Y.Dong & Z.Y.Zuo *'' Gymnosphaera scandens'' (Brause) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera schlechteri'' (Brause) Copel. *''

Gymnosphaera schliebenii ''Gymnosphaera schliebenii'', synonyms ''Alsophila schliebenii'' and ''Cyathea fadenii'', is a species of tree fern endemic to the Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania, where it grows on exposed ridges and on the upper edge of montane forest at an eleva ...

'' (Reimers) S.Y.Dong *'' Gymnosphaera subdubia'' (Alderw.) S.Y.Dong

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q17166772 Cyatheaceae Pantropical flora Fern genera