Cyathea mexicana
Schltdl. & Cham.
Cyatheaceae
Cyathea articulata Fée
Cyathea trejoi H.Christ
Nephelea mexicana (Schltdl. & Cham.) R.M.Tryon
Common Name:
General Information
Cyathea mexicana is an evergreen tree fern with an unbranched stem that can be 10 metres tall topped by a rosette of leaves that can be 4 metres long[
489- Title
- Ferns and Fern Allies of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of the ferns of Guatemala, giving some plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]..
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local medicinal use.
Known Hazards
Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase[
172- Title
- Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Schofield. J. J.
- Publisher
- Alaska Northwest Books; Alaska
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 0882403699
- Description
- A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Northern S. America - Ecuador, north through Central America to Mexico.
Habitat
In forests, on slopes and in ravines, at elevations from 200 - 2,800 metres in Guatemala[
489- Title
- Ferns and Fern Allies of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of the ferns of Guatemala, giving some plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Fern |
| Height | 0.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
Scales from the fronds are used to arrest haemorrhages[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
