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Platycerium

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Platycerium is a genus of about 18 fern species in the polypod family, Polypodiaceae. Ferns in this genus are widely known as staghorn or elkhorn ferns due to their uniquely shaped fronds. This genus is epiphytic and is native to tropical and temperate areas of South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Guinea.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

DescriptionEdit

Platycerium sporophytes (adult plants) have tufted roots, growing from a short rhizome, and bear two types of fronds - basal and fertile fronds. Basal fronds are sterile, shield- or kidney-shaped, and laminate against the tree, to protect the fern's roots from damage and desiccation. In some Platycerium species, the top margin of these fronds will grow into an open crown of lobes; catching rainwater, falling forest litter, bird/animal droppings, and even an occasional fallen deceased animal, these plants build up their own “compost” system of nutrition over many years.

Fertile fronds bear spores on their undersurface, are dichotomous or antler-shaped, and jut out or hang from the rhizome. The spores are borne in sporangia, clustered in large sori that are usually positioned on the tips of the lobes, on a specialized stalked lobe (as in P. ridleyi and P. coronarium), or at the sinus between frond lobes. <ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Some species of Platycerium are solitary, having only one rhizome. Other species form colonies when their rhizomes branch, or when new rhizomes are formed from root tips. If the conditions are right, the spores will germinate naturally, on surrounding trees. A Platycerium gametophyte is a small, heart-shaped thallus.

Platycerium have diverged into four natural groups. Several Platycerium are strongly adapted to xeric conditions, with a naturally drought-tolerant metabolism method having been reported for P. veitchii.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

SpeciesEdit

Image Name Distribution
File:Platycerium alcicorne - Berlin Botanical Garden - IMG 8687.JPG Platycerium alcicorne Template:Small Madagascar, Comoros Island, Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.
File:Platycerium andinum 1.jpg Platycerium andinum Template:Small Colombia, Bolivia and Peru.
File:Starr-110307-2129-Platycerium bifurcatum-habit-Kula Botanical Garden-Maui (24959509032).jpg Platycerium bifurcatum Template:Small Australia states of New South Wales, Queensland, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.
File:Staghorn Fern (Platycerium coronarium) (8752670563).jpg Platycerium coronarium Template:Small Indonesia Sumatra, Kalimantan, West Java, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Platycerium ellisii Template:Small Madagascar only in the provinces of Antsiranana and Toamasina.
File:Platycerium angolense - Wilhelma Zoo - Stuttgart, Germany - DSC02037.jpg Platycerium elephantotis Template:Small Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Dem. Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan and South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, tropical Africa
File:Platycerium grande (114).JPG Large antler fern (Platycerium grande Template:Small Philippines Province of Mindanao and Indonesia, in the Province of North Sulawesi and Gorontalo.
File:Elkhorn fern.jpg Platycerium hillii Template:Small (Also referred to as a variety of Platycerium bifurcatum var. Hillii (T. Moore) Domin) Australia Queensland, Papua New Guinea and Papua Indonesia.
File:Holttum's Staghorn - Platycerium holttumii (7105572791).jpg Platycerium holttumii Template:Small Malaysia, Northern Peninsular, State of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, Thailand and Indochina.
File:Platycerium madagasariense tropicalferns.JPG Platycerium madagascariense Template:Small Madagascar in the provinces of Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa and Toamasina.
Platycerium quadridichotomum Template:Small Madagascar only in Ankarana, Bemaraha, Bemarivo, Montagne d’Ambre including Fôret d'Ambre.
File:Platycerium ridleyi.jpg Platycerium ridleyi Template:Small Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Indonesia Sumatra and Kalimantan.
File:Platycerium stemaria kz1.JPG Triangle antler fern (Platycerium stemaria Template:Small Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Dem. Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Sudan and South Sudan, Uganda, Principe, Sao Tomé, tropical Africa.
File:Platycerium superbum Coffs Harbour.jpg Magnificent antler fern (Platycerium superbum Template:Small Queensland and New South Wales.
File:Platycerium veitchii.jpg Platycerium veitchii Template:Small (Syn .: Platycerium bifurcatum subsp. Veitchii (Underw.) Hennipman & M. C. Roos) Queensland.
File:Platycerium wallichii kz01.jpg Platycerium wallichii Template:Small Northeastern India, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and western Yunnan.
File:PlatyceriumWandae.JPG Platycerium wandae Template:Small Papua New Guinea, Indonesia Papua and Maluku Island.
File:Staghorn Fern Platycerium willinckii (7881230044).jpg Platycerium willinckii Template:Small (Also referred to as a subspecies of Platycerium bifurcatum subsp. Willinckii (T. Moore) Hennipman & M. C. Roos ). Sulawesi and Java

CultivationEdit

The species Platycerium bifurcatum and Platycerium superbum are commonly cultivated as ornamental plants. These oddly shaped ferns grow on trees and rocks and can be found in gardens, especially tropical gardens.

Staghorns can be propagated by spores produced on the underside of the fertile fronds. Colonial Platycerium can also be vegetatively propagated by carefully dividing large healthy ones into smaller, separate plants. These new plants can then be attached to board mounts or be strapped to trees until they take to the tree themselves.

A mature staghorn can grow more than Template:Convert wide.

GalleryEdit

ReferencesEdit

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