Overview
katote, Smith’s tree fern
Cyathea smithii occurs at medium to higher altitudes in the North Island, and is throughout the South Island where it extends to the lowlands. Its presence on the subantarctic Auckland Islands is the world’s southernmost limit for tree ferns. It favours colder, wetter habitats and is the most abundant trunked Cyathea in the South Island.
It is recognised by its retention of dead frond stems as a ‘skirt’ around its trunk. Dicksonia fibrosa also retains a skirt, but of the whole fronds rather than just the stems.
Cyathea smithii is closely related to C. colensoi and C. cunninghamii. Cyathea colensoi never forms a trunk and lacks indusia (a protective covering of the reproductive structures). As tall adults, C. cunninghamii and C. smithii are easily separated: C. cunninghamii has a clean trunk compared to the skirt of C. smithii. However, both species can have untidy skirts when young (even c. 2 m tall). Microscopically, some of the frond scales of C. cunninghamii are tipped with coloured spines, whereas these spines are completely absent in C. smithii.