Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae.
Taxonomy The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of Cyathea or Alsophila.
In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), Gymnosphaera was left as a synonym of Alsophila, as evidence to support its reliable separation was lacking. More recently, Shi-Yong Dong and collaborators proposed the revival and recircumscription of the genus based on additional phylogenetic evidence, an act subsequently accepted by other tree fern workers.
Phylogeny , the following species are accepted in the genus as currently circumscribed by the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World:
Phylogeny of Gymnosphaera Other species include:Gymnosphaera alticola Tardieu Gymnosphaera atropurpurea (Copel.) Copel. Gymnosphaera bonii (Christ) S.Y.Dong Gymnosphaera commutata (Mett.) S.Y.Dong Gymnosphaera henryi (Baker) S.R.Ghosh Gymnosphaera mildbraedii (Brause) S.Y.Dong Gymnosphaera nicklesii Tardieu & F.Ballard ex Tardieu Gymnosphaera ramispinoides (M.Kato) S.Y.Dong Gymnosphaera rubella (Holttum) S.Y.Dong
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