Compilation
Cyathea burkei

Trunk 0.4–5 m tall, massive, to 45 cm diameter or even 90 cm near base; rarely with one or more small branches (forked in Harley 9601), many old fronds persisting as a pendulous ‘skirt’. Stipe commonly 30–50 cm long; sometimes on the stipe base a pair of very small 1-pinnate pinnae 4–25 cm long; scales reddish brown or purple-brown, to 40 mm long, with very narrow fragile margins which bear an obliquely spreading fringe, helically twisted in the distal part; lamina elliptic or oblong in outline, 3-pinnatifid to 3-pinnate, 0.9–3 m long, 0.6–0.8 m wide, yellow-green above, slightly glaucous beneath; pinnae 12–20 on each side of the rachis, alternate and at an angle, the largest 40–70 cm long; lower pinnae commonly slightly to much reduced, rachis smooth abaxially except near the base; largest pinnules commonly 7 cm long by 1.2 cm wide; basal lobes quite free, the other pinnules lobed almost to the costa; lobes crenate; costules commonly 3–5 mm apart; veins 6–10 pairs, forked near costule except distal ones. Scales and hairs on pinnules: lower surface of costae and costules at first densely covered with slender light brown contorted hair, a few contorted hairs and narrow scales, these also sometimes present on lower surface of veins. Sori at forks of veins, in 2 rows along either side of the costule to 10 per lobe; indusia usually forming intact rather shallow cups, sometimes with small projections on the margin. Fig. 2: 1, 1A (page 10)