Treefern: Lophosoria, Sadleria, Thyrsopteris and Todea

• Lophosoria, Sadleria, Thyrsopteris and Todea
  Like Blechnum, these are not classified as true treeferns, but they do form trunks or very large rhizomes that suggest treefern like characteristics.

Lophosoria quadripinnata-This very interesting fern is not a true treefern at all, but it is related to Dicksonia and can develop small trunks to 8' high. It grows over a very large area in the wild, all the way from Mexico and the West Indes to the Patagonia, spreading vigorously by clumping and forming adventitious shoots. It has very large fronds and multiple trunks sometimes forming more as mounds. Its presence so far south in South America makes me optomistic that there may be hardy Dicksonias or other treeferns yet to be introduced from that part of the world.
As far as I know, this species has yet to be employed in landscapes, but it certainly would be an interesting one to grow. It is known to be very easily grown and adaptable in cultivation. Its strange, clustering, mounding form could make it a one-of-a-kind accent plant. Plants from Chile and Argentina should yield very cold-hardy offspring.

Sadleria cyatheoides-Information coming, uh maybe sometime after I have had a chance to grow this fern. I have never even seen one in person come to think of it.

Thyrsopteris elegans-This very rare treefern from the Juan Fernandez Islands belongs to the Dicksoniaceae family. It grows in sheltered gullies and hillsides throughout the islands, where its trunk is often covered with epiphytes. It is not difficult to accomodate in cultivation, but it is very difficult to find.

Todea barbara-Todea barbara is not really a true treefern either, but it does grow a trunk up to 5' tall, with multiple crowns at the top, and fronds up to 4' in length. It may resemble a very lax Dicksonia antarctica slightly in its general appearance, but the fronds look very different. It comes from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This interesting natural distribution suggests it survived as a relict from when these land masses were all joined together. It is quite adaptable, hardy to roughly 15°F, and will tolerate a considerable range of climates, but of course it needs its moisture like any fern. It is cultivated somewhat in the Southern Hemisphere and it is in Britain but very rare. I have never seen one in the United States. The spore remains viable for only a few days after collecting, which makes it difficult to distribute.

Thank:angelfire.com