Brooks' alsophila
Alsophila brooksii
Alsophila brooksii, synonym Cyathea brooksii, is a species of tree fern native to Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, where it grows on serpentine soils in shaded ravines, along streams, and on forested slopes at an altitude of 250–950 m. The trunk is prostrate and only about 6 cm in diameter.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Omar Monzon Carmona, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Omar Monzon Carmona
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Polypodiopsida
Order
Cyatheales
Family
Cyatheaceae
Genus
Alsophila
Brooks' alsophila belongs to the family Cyatheaceae, order Cyatheales, within the Polypodiopsida class.
Species Profile
Alsophila brooksii, synonym Cyathea brooksii, is a species of tree fern native to Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, where it grows on serpentine soils in shaded ravines, along streams, and on forested slopes at an altitude of 250–950 m. The trunk is prostrate and only about 6 cm in diameter. Fronds are pinnate or bipinnate and up to 2 m long. The base of the rachis is covered with blackish scales that have a paler margin. Sori occur in two rows, one along each side of the pinnule midvein.
Brooks' alsophila is critically endangered primarily due to severe habitat loss and fragmentation from deforestation and agricultural expansion in its limited range in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The species has an extremely restricted distribution and small population size, making it highly vulnerable to any further habitat degradation or loss.
Key Facts
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Brooks' alsophila is critically endangered primarily due to severe habitat loss and fragmentation from deforestation and agricultural expansion in its limited range in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The species has an extremely restricted distribution and small population size, making it highly vulnerable to any further habitat degradation or loss.
Agricultural expansion
Deforestation and habitat loss
Habitat fragmentation
Limited geographic range
Small population size
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Brooks' alsophila (Alsophila brooksii). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/brooks-alsophila