''Dicksonia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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 the order Cyatheales. It is regarded as related to ''

Cyathea ''Cyathea'' is a genus of tree ferns, the type genus of the fern order Cyatheales. The genus name ''Cyathea'' is derived from the Greek ''kyatheion'', meaning "little cup", and refers to the cup-shaped sori on the underside of the fronds. De ...

'', but is considered to retain more primitive traits, dating back at least to the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

and

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

periods. The fossil record includes stems, pinnules, and spores. The genus contains 20–25

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, distributed from Mexico to Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile, St. Helena, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. New Guinea has the greatest diversity, with five species.

Species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of ''Dicksonia'' found in cultivation include: *''D. antarctica'', soft tree fern *''D. fibrosa'', woolly tree fern *''D. squarrosa'', rough or slender tree fern The genus was first described by

Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle (; 15 June 1746 – 18 August 1800) was an 18th-century French botanist and civil servant. Born into an affluent upper-class Parisian family, connections with the French Royal Court secured him the position of ...

in 1788. The name honors

James Dickson James or Jim Dickson may refer to: Politicians *James Dickson (Scottish politician) (c. 1715–1771), MP for Lanark Burghs 1768–1771 *James Dickson (New South Wales politician) (1813–1863), member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly *Ja ...

, a prominent nurseryman and botanist.''Dicksonia antarctica'' – the soft tree fern
Australian National Botanic Gardens
2008

Species

* ''

Dicksonia antarctica ''Dicksonia antarctica'', the soft tree fern or man fern, is a species of evergreen tree fern native to eastern Australia, ranging from south-east Queensland, coastal New South Wales and Victoria to Tasmania. Anatomy and biology These ferns ...

'', soft tree fern, Tasmanian tree fern – Australia * '' Dicksonia arborescens'',

St. Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constit ...

(type species) * '' Dicksonia archboldii'', New Guinea * '' Dicksonia baudouini'', New Caledonia * '' Dicksonia berteriana'',

Juan Fernández Islands The Juan Fernández Islands ( es, Archipiélago Juan Fernández) are a sparsely inhabited series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean reliant on tourism and fishing. Situated off the coast of Chile, they are composed of three main volcanic i ...

* '' Dicksonia blumei'', Indonesia, Philippines * '' Dicksonia brackenridgei'', Fiji,

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

* '' Dicksonia externa'',

* '' Dicksonia fibrosa'', woolly tree fern, kuripaka or wheki-ponga – New Zealand * '' Dicksonia grandis'', New Guinea * '' Dicksonia herbertii'', Northeastern Queensland, Australia * '' Dicksonia hieronymi'', New Guinea * '' Dicksonia lanata'', Tuokuro. New Zealand * '' Dicksonia lanigera'', New Guinea * '' Dicksonia mollis'', Indonesia * '' Dicksonia sciurus'', New Guinea * '' Dicksonia sellowiana'', xaxim, samambaiuçu (in

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

) – Southern Mexico through Central America and Northern South America to Bolivia and Uruguay * '' Dicksonia squarrosa'', rough tree fern, slender tree fern, New Zealand tree fern, wheki – New Zealand * '' Dicksonia steubelii'', Northern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

* '' Dicksonia thyrsopteroides'', New Caledonia * '' Dicksonia youngiae'', bristly tree fern – Australia

References

* Large, M.F. and J.E. Braggins ''Tree Ferns''. Timber Press, Inc. (2004). * Lobin, Wolfram. List of the American Dicksonia Species. Scientific Authority of Germany, Bonn 2001.

External links

Community: Care and propagation of Tree ferns
(German/English)
Fern Files: Dicksonia
Dicksoniaceae Fern genera Ferns of Africa Ferns of Oceania Ferns of the Americas Jurassic plants Extant Jurassic first appearances {{tree-stub