Sphaeropteris cooperi
(Hook. ex F. Muell.) R. M. Tryon
Cicatrice tree-fern, Straw Tree Fern, Scaly tree fern
(c) Jakob Fahr, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jakob Fahr
(c) Susan Fawcett, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Susan Fawcett, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Growing heart, Fiddlehead, Starch, Leaves, Fronds
The central growing heart and fiddleheads are eaten after processing. Starch is extracted from the plant. The fronds and leaves are also edible.
Where to Find It
It grows in tropical and subtropical rainforests. It grows in most forests in Queensland and New South Wales in Australia. The roots need to be kept moist. It is frost tender when young. It can withstand exposure in moist positions. It grows up to 1400 m altitude. Hobart Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
Australia*, Hawaii, Polynesia, Tasmania,
How to Identify
A slender, tall tree fern. It grows 12 m high. The trunk is woody and 20 cm across. The fronds are twice divided. They can be dull or shiny green on top and paler underneath. The fronds are 4 m long by 1 m wide. They are long and soft and have a dense covering of brown scales. When the fronds break off they leave oval scars.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from spores.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Sphaeropteris cooperi, synonym Cyathea cooperi, also known as lacy tree fern, scaly tree fern, coin spot tree fern, or Cooper's tree fern, is a tree fern native to Australia, in New South Wales and Queensland.
Production
It is a fast growing fern.
Notes
There are about 800 Cyathea species.
Names & Synonyms
References (24)
- Andrews, S.B., 1990, Ferns of Queensland. A handbook to the ferns and fern allies. Queensland DPI p 113 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Chaffey, C.H., 1999, Australian Ferns. Growing them successfully. Kangaroo Press. p 126 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Cronin, L., 1989, The Concise Australian Flora. Reed. p 286 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 448 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 247 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Goudey, C.J., 1988, A Handbook of Ferns for Australia and New Zealand. Lothian. p 82 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Greig, D., 1996, Flowering Natives for Home Gardens. Angus & Robertson. p 129 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Haslam, S., 2004, Noosa's Native Plants. Noosa Integrated Catchment Assn. Inc. p 332 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 78 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Cousens, R.D., Dodd, J., Lloyd, S.G., 1997, Western Weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia. Plant Protection Society of Western Australia. p 12 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Leiper, G & Houser, J., Mutooroo. Plant Use by Australian Aboriginal People. Assembly press, Queensland. (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Lord, E.E., & Willis, J.H., 1999, Shrubs and Trees for Australian gardens. Lothian. p 95 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Marinelli, J. (Ed), 2004, Plant. DK. p 316, 469, (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Melzer, R., & Plumb, J., 2011, Plants of Capricornia. Belgamba, Rockhampton. p 29 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Paczkowska, G . & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 23 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Pearson, S. & A., 1992, Rainforest Plants of Eastern Australia. Kangaroo Press p 74 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Pteridophyta 262. 1929 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Ratcliffe D & P., 1987, Australian Native Plants for Indoors. Little Hills press. p 75 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Large, M.F., & Braggins, J.E., 2004, Tree Ferns. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Australia. p 115 Plates 35-37 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Townsend, K., 1994, Across the Top. Gardening with Australian Plants in the tropics. Society for Growing Australian Plants, Townsville Branch Inc. p 151 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Williams, J.B., Harden, G.J., and McDonald, W.J.F., 1984, Trees and shrubs in rainforests of New South Wales and Southern Queensland. Univ. of New England, Armidale. p 17 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- Williams, K.A.W., 1999, Native Plants of Queensland Volume 4. Keith A.W. Williams North Ipswich, Australia. p 134 (As Cyathea cooperi)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Yallakool Reserve Plant List July 1, 2009 Off internet
