Beever (1984) found that Cyathea medullaris,
Cyathea dealbata and Dicksonia squarrosa in New
Zealand each hosted a characteristic community of
moss epiphytes. This was attributed to differences in
the texture of the trunk. Similarly, Ashton (1986) suggested
that the greater luxuriance of epiphytes on the
trunks of Dicksonia antarctica than on Cyathea australis
in wet eucalypt forest in Victoria, Australia, was due
to the thicker, moister and more finely textured root
mantle of D. antarctica. Dicksonia antarctica trunks had
approximately twice the water-holding capacity of
C. australis trunks (Ashton 1986).