Tiang fern (Cyathea contaminans)

Paku tiang or pole fern or tiang fern (Cyathea contaminans) is a plant species in Cyatheaceae, has a height of up to 12 m, a single stem and the old part shows traces of leaves, the basal part is thickened by adventitious roots and grows mixed with other species.

C. contaminans has stipe for 100 cm long, gloucous, purplish to the base, very thorny, when young has scales on all parts, up to 45x3 mm in size, pale brown, very thin and setiferous.

The main rachis is pale, prickly, scaly as a stipe but then glabrescent. Pinnae has the largest size of 60 cm and the lowest decreases with stems up to 10 cm. Pinnules have a size of 150x30 mm or smaller with 1-2 pairs of basal segments more or not at all, the rest of the pine curved almost to the rib.

Costules have a size of 4-5 mm. Common veins are 12 pairs. The lamina segment is hard, rough on the bottom and fibrous edges. Sori is exindusiate, near costule and pale paraphrase is no more than sporangia.

The scales and hair on the pinnae-rachis are prickly, pale and shiny. The lower surface of the costae initially carries a pale setifer scales scattered within 3mm or shorter than distal. It often causes caduceus and leaves the glabrous costae.

Costule with small scales, tufted and pale, mostly caduceus, some hairs present towards the top of the pinnules on the costae but are varied. Veins may have thick, stiff hair and vary in number.

Tiang fern almost resembles a coconut tree so it is easily distinguished from other types of ferns. It grows mixed with other species, but sometimes in groups and often found on open mountain slopes or protected areas.

Spikes are easily found at an altitude of 200-1,600 m. Leaf shoots that are still curled are used as vegetable ingredients. Fine hairs are used for boiled medicinal herbs. Stems are often used as a growing medium for orchids, Anthurium, Piper, Platycerium, Adiantum and other fern species. Sometimes finely chopped to medium in the pot.

Large stems are preferred for home decoration poles. This fern species has a strong trunk and is often also used as handicraft, material for building, used in Hindu traditional ceremonies and used as fuel.

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Cyatheales
Family: Cyatheaceae
Genus: Cyathea
Species: C. contaminans

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