Alsophyla camerooniana (Hook.) R.M.Tryon var. camerooniana
Cyathea aethiopica sensu Tardieu

Trunk to 3 m tall. Frond to 3 m long. Stipe 15–30 cm long; scales to 15 mm long, less than 2 mm wide, margins thin, dull. Lamina pinnate, thin-textured, to 2.5 m long; several pairs of lower pinnae gradually reduced and widely spaced. Pinnae lowest commonly 5–10 cm long, largest pinnae commonly 20–40 cm long, 3–8 cm wide; 1–few pairs basal lobes quite free, the remainder widened at their bases and meeting each other, usually with a distinct costal wing between them, almost at right angles to the costa, crenate at least distally; veins commonly 12–22 pairs, most veins forked once near the costule. Scales and hairs on pinnules: lower surface of costa always bearing stiff spreading hairs, 0.5–1.5 mm long; small scales sometimes present but rarely abundant; scattered, stiff and spreading hairs present on lower surface of costules. Sori at forks of veins, near but not touching the costules; indusia thin and complete and breaking at maturity or forming cups with definite edges which bear one or more flaccid hairs and scale-like extensions.
var. camerooniana: Rhachis rather pale distally and usually with many spreading hairs on its lower surface; pinnae to 25 x 4 cm; lobes with blunt or rounded tooth distally, their tips rounded; hairs on the lower surface of costae with very thick brown bases and slender pale tips, no setiferous scales present; indusia very thin, breaking irregularly, not forming distinct cups or discs.

camerooniana: from Cameroon, where this fern was first found.

Wet ground, river bank in high forest.

Africa, Fernando Po.

Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Liberia, Nigeria.

Terrestrial.