Gymnosphaera

Gymnosphaera is a genus of tree ferns in family Cyatheaceae.

Taxonomy
The genus was originally described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1828. It was frequently treated by later authors as a synonym of Cyathea or Alsophila.

In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), Gymnosphaera was left as a synonym of Alsophila, as evidence to support its reliable separation was lacking. More recently, Shi-Yong Dong and collaborators proposed the revival and recircumscription of the genus based on additional phylogenetic evidence, an act subsequently accepted by other tree fern workers.

Phylogeny
, the following species are accepted in the genus as currently circumscribed by the Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World:

Phylogeny of Gymnosphaera

Other species include:


 * Gymnosphaera alticola Tardieu
 * Gymnosphaera atropurpurea (Copel.) Copel.
 * Gymnosphaera boivinii (Mett. ex Ettingsh.) Tardieu
 * Gymnosphaera bonii (Christ) S.Y.Dong
 * Gymnosphaera commutata (Mett.) S.Y.Dong
 * Gymnosphaera henryi (Baker) S.R.Ghosh
 * Gymnosphaera mildbraedii (Brause) S.Y.Dong
 * Gymnosphaera nicklesii Tardieu & F.Ballard ex Tardieu
 * Gymnosphaera ramispinoides (M.Kato) S.Y.Dong
 * Gymnosphaera rubella (Holttum) S.Y.Dong