Dicksonia sellowiana, the xaxim, or samambaiaçu or imperial samambaiaçu, is an arborescent fern in the family Dicksoniaceae, native to the tropical Americas. Distribution The fern is native to Southern Mexico, Central America, and South America. In the South American Atlantic Forest biome, it is found in: Southeastern Brazil within in the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul; in northeast of Argentina within Misiones Province; and within eastern Paraguay. Description Dicksonia sellowiana has an erect and cylindrical caudex, reaching sometimes more than high, the fronds are bipinnate and long. Due to illegal extraction, the species is at risk of extinction. Varieties Dicksonia sellowiana is variable in its form. Variations are sometimes treated as separate varieties, which include: Dicksonia sellowiana var. ghiesbreghtii Dicksonia sellowiana var. gigantea Dicksonia sellowiana var. karsteniana Dicksonia sellowiana var. lobulata References External links GRIN-Global Web v 1.9.8.2: Taxonomy report of Dicksonia sellowiana Dicksoniaceae Ferns of the Americas Ferns of Argentina Ferns of Brazil Ferns of Ecuador Ferns of Mexico Flora of Central America Flora of northern South America Flora of southern South America Flora of western South America Flora of the Atlantic Forest Flora of Southwestern Mexico Flora of the Amazon Flora of Veracruz Neotropical realm flora Vulnerable flora of South America Plants described in 1844 Taxa named by William Jackson Hooker Garden plants of Central America Garden plants of South America