title: Alsophila glaucifolia
text: # Alsophila glaucifolia
  
  Alsophila glaucifolia, synonym Cyathea glauca, is a species of tree fern endemic to Réunion. Little is known about this species.
  
  ## Habitat and related species
  
  A. glaucifolia grows at higher altitudes (1,300–2,000 m (4,300–6,600 ft)), and it is one of three species of tree fern that are indigenous to Réunion island.
  
  * Alsophila celsa (syn. Cyathea excelsa) which also occurs in Mauritius, grows at slightly lower altitudes (200-1700m). Like A. glaucifolia, its leaves are tripinnate, but the new fronds of A. celsa are scaleless; those of A. glaucifolia have red-brown scales.
  * Alsophila borbonica (syn. Cyathea borbonica) is the only species with bipinnate fronds.
  * The fronds are tripinnate (branching to three levels).
  * Growing under Acacia heterophylla in the forest of Bélouve, Réunion
  * Detail of trunk and insertion of fronds. New growth is covered in red-brown scales. This serves to distinguish the species from the alien, non-indigenous Sphaeropteris cooperi (syn. Cyathea cooperi), which has red and white scales on its new growth.
  * The alien Sphaeropteris cooperi can be distinguished from A. glaucifolia by the red and white scales on its new fronds.
  