Alsophila manniana
Alsophila manniana, synonym Cyathea manniana, the spiny tree fern or sheshino, is a species of tree fern. It is readily identified by the fierce spines on its trunk, and is widespread in the tropical regions of Africa.
Description
Alsophila manniana has a slender trunk, reaching some 7 m in height, sometimes producing lateral stems which initially function as props or stilts, but later may form new trunks. Fronds are leathery. Stems are protected by spines; aphlebia are absent in the crown of the stem.This species was first described by William Hooker in 'Synopsis Filicum' 21, based on a specimen collected on Fernando Po by Gustav Mann, a German botanist who led expeditions to West Africa and was also a gardener at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and consequently named after Mann. The prop stems of Hooker, now called stolons, are up to thick and up to length. Each mature plant can produce up to 12 offshoots, eventually forming a large colony which is locally dominant. Halle found the trunks to be up to height. A photograph of a dominant colony on Fernando Po can be seen in "The World's Wonders".