FOR VALIDATION :: ¿ Sphaeropteris crinita (Hook.) R.M.Tryon ? :: The Nilgiris

Dinesh Valke

unread,

Mar 10, 2026, 10:08:32 AMMar 10

to efloraofindia

FOR VALIDATION ::
¿ Sphaeropteris crinita (Hook.) R.M.Tryon ?

The Nilgiris :: Jan 30, 2026 · 9:37 AM IST
Avalanche, about 2037 m asl

Regards.
Dinesh

J.M. Garg

unread,

Mar 20, 2026, 11:16:22 AMMar 20

to efloraofindia, DineshValke

Thanks, Dinesh ji

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "eFloraofIndia" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to indiantreepi...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CABSQqC37OEpMzLAh4yFUZcxEzt6Fu9HJNNE0pftD-HAFvnyu4g%40mail.gmail.com.

--

With regards,
J.M.Garg,
https://efloraofindia.com/

J.M. Garg

unread,

Mar 21, 2026, 2:17:10 AMMar 21

to efloraofindia, DineshValke

Thanks a lot, Chris ji

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Chris Fraser-Jenkins
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2026 at 01:12
Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:487358] FOR VALIDATION :: ¿ Sphaeropteris crinita (Hook.) R.M.Tryon ? :: The Nilgiris :: Jan 30, 2026 · 9:37 AM IST
To: J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>

Oh dear,

The sender didn't realise the basic situation - Cyathea species cannot be identified from distant photos! Not at all! You have to take a close-up photo of the under-surface of a pinnule, so we can see the hairs and scales, and the sori.

The only thing I can see (I think!) in these far-away photos is that the stipe and rachis appear to be dark and are not densely covered in pale scales, so it is certainly not in Section Sphaeropteris and is not C. crinita.

Although we cannot convingly guess what it is without seeing the sori, I would imagine they would be in inverted Vs on each pinnule-lobe. So it is not likely to be anything other than C. gigantea - which is in section Gymnosphaera.

You can see splendid C. crinita with all the axes densely covered in white scales and hairs in the late Father Manickam's old fern garden in the Sacred Heart College at Shembaganur, Kodaikanal, assuming they have maintained it. It is quite a different fern.

Chris Fraser-Jenkins, UK.

Dinesh Valke

unread,

Mar 21, 2026, 2:37:01 AMMar 21

to J.M. Garg, efloraofindia

OK, many many thanks, Chris ji and Garg ji.

I will update my notes with Cyathea gigantea (Wall. ex Hook.) Holttum ... synonym of Gymnosphaera gigantea (Wall. ex Hook.) S.Y.Dong