Cyathea australis
(R. Br.) Domin
Rough tree fern
(c) Paul Whitington, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paul Whitington
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(c) Lorraine Phelan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Lorraine Phelan
What to Eat
Edible parts: Heart, Fronds, Leaves, Starch
The young fiddleheads or unfurled young leaves can be roasted or boiled and eaten. The terminal bud or heart of the fern can be eaten raw or cooked for its starch content, traditionally extracted from the core of the upper trunk.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a warm temperate to subtropical plant. It grows from central Queensland to Tasmania, in Australia. It is a hardy plant. It grows in rainforest and open dry forest. It needs sufficient moisture at the roots. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. Melbourne Botanical Gardens. Hobart Botanical Gardens. Tasmania Herbarium. Arboretum Tasmania.
Australia*, Tasmania*,
How to Identify
A large tree fern. It can grow 8-12 m high. It has a large woody trunk which can be 1 m across. It is dark and rough. The fronds are 4 m long and can be divided 2 or 3 times. The fronds curve over and are dark green. The underside of the fronds are pale green. The bases of the stipes are rough. It has shorter, finer fronds than Cyathea cooperi. The spore bodies or sori are located at the fork of the veins on the underside of the fronds. It does not have the dead fronds hanging around the trunk.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from spores.
Propagation: Spores - can be surface sown at any time of the year in a light position. Keep moist by standing the pot in shallow water or by enclosing it in a plastic bag. Germinates in 1 - 3 months at 25°c. Prick out patches of the young plants into small pots and stand the pots in shallow water until the plants are well established. Grow on in a shady position until large enough to plant out.
Other Uses
The hard part of the stem is made into walking sticks and fancy furniture.
Notes
There are about 800 Cyathea species.
Names & Synonyms
References (31)
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