| Cyathea
australis (rough tree fern) is one of Tasmania's
three tree fern species (all are native). It is less common
than Dicksonia antarctica,
but much more common than Cyathea
cunninghamii. It sometimes hybridises with the
latter species to produce the plants called Cyathea
x marcescens. It has a moderate to large trunk
(often a few metres tall and 20-30cm in diameter) that is
not fibrous.
The common name (rough tree fern) refers to the trunk
with its hard persistent stalks of old leaves, not the
foliage itself, which is much softer than that of Dicksonia.
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University of Tasmania
