Editing Platycerium

{{Short description|Genus of ferns}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Platycerium bifurcatum.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Platycerium bifurcatum]]'' from the [[Australian National Botanical Gardens]], [[Canberra]]
| taxon = Platycerium
| authority = [[Nicaise Auguste Desvaux|Desv.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
*''[[Platycerium andinum]]''
*''[[Platycerium alcicorne]]''
*''[[Platycerium bifurcatum]]''
*''[[Platycerium coronarium]]''
*''[[Platycerium elephantotis]]''
*''[[Platycerium ellisii]]''
*''[[Platycerium grande]]''
*''[[Platycerium hillii]]''
*''[[Platycerium holttumii]]''
*''[[Platycerium madagascariense]]''
*''[[Platycerium quadridichotomum]]''
*''[[Platycerium ridleyi]]''
*''[[Platycerium stemaria]]''
*''[[Platycerium superbum]]''
*''[[Platycerium veitchii]]''
*''[[Platycerium wallichii]]''
*''[[Platycerium wandae]]''
*''[[Platycerium willinkii]]''
}}

'''''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 [[frond]]s. This genus is [[Epiphyte|epiphytic]] and is native to [[tropical]] and temperate areas of [[South America]], [[Africa]], [[Southeast Asia]], [[Australia]], and [[New Guinea]].<ref>{{Cite book | publisher = North-Holland | isbn = 0444855696 | last = Hennipman | first = E. | title = A monograph of the fern genus Platycerium (Polypodiaceae) | location = Amsterdam; New York | series = Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afd. Natuurkunde. Tweede reeks | date = 1982 }}</ref>

==Description==
''Platycerium'' [[sporophyte]]s (adult plants) have tufted roots,  growing from a short rhizome, and bear two types of fronds - [[Frond dimorphism|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 branching|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>{{cite journal | doi = 10.2307/2989731| last1 = Hoshizaki| first1 = Barbara Joe | title = Morphology and Phylogeny of Platycerium Species | journal = Biotropica | volume = 4 | issue = 2 | year = 1972 | pages = 93–117 | jstor = 2989731| bibcode = 1972Biotr...4...93H}}</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 [[Crassulacean acid metabolism|metabolism method]] having been reported for ''P.&nbsp;veitchii''.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.3732/ajb.93.2.217 | issn = 0002-9122 | volume = 93 | issue = 2 | pages = 217–225 | first1 = Hans-Peter | last1 = Kreier | first2 = Harald | last2 = Schneider | title = Phylogeny and biogeography of the staghorn fern genus Platycerium (Polypodiaceae, Polypodiidae) | journal = American Journal of Botany | year=2006 | pmid = 21646182 }}</ref>

==Species==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- 
! Image !! Name !!  Distribution
|-
|[[File:Platycerium alcicorne - Berlin Botanical Garden - IMG 8687.JPG|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium alcicorne]]'' {{small| Desv .}}|| Madagascar, Comoros Island, Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe. 
|-
|[[File:Platycerium andinum 1.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium andinum]]'' {{small| Baker}}|| Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. 
|-
|[[File:Starr-110307-2129-Platycerium bifurcatum-habit-Kula Botanical Garden-Maui (24959509032).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium bifurcatum]]'' {{small| (Cav.) C. Chr .}}|| Australia states of New South Wales, Queensland, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.
|-
|[[File:Staghorn Fern (Platycerium coronarium) (8752670563).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium coronarium]]'' {{small| (J. Koenig ex O. F. Müll.) Desv .}}|| Indonesia Sumatra, Kalimantan, West Java, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. 
|-
| ||''[[Platycerium ellisii]]'' {{small| Baker}}|| Madagascar only in the provinces of Antsiranana and Toamasina.
|-
|[[File:Platycerium angolense - Wilhelma Zoo - Stuttgart, Germany - DSC02037.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium elephantotis]]'' {{small| Schweinf.}} || 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|120px]] ||Large antler fern (''[[Platycerium grande]]'' {{small| (Fée) Kunze)}}|| Philippines Province of Mindanao and Indonesia, in the Province of North Sulawesi and Gorontalo.
|-
|[[File:Elkhorn fern.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium hillii]]'' {{small| T. Moore}} (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|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium holttumii]]'' {{small| de Jonch. & Hennipman}}|| Malaysia, Northern Peninsular, State of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, Thailand and Indochina.
|-
|[[File:Platycerium madagasariense tropicalferns.JPG|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium madagascariense]]'' {{small| Baker}}|| Madagascar in the provinces of Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa and Toamasina. 
|-
| ||''[[Platycerium quadridichotomum]]'' {{small| (Bonap.) Tardieu}}|| Madagascar only in Ankarana, Bemaraha, Bemarivo, Montagne d’Ambre including Fôret d'Ambre. 
|-
|[[File:Platycerium ridleyi.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium ridleyi]]'' {{small| Christ}}|| Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Indonesia Sumatra and Kalimantan. 
|-
|[[File:Platycerium stemaria kz1.JPG|120px]] ||Triangle antler fern (''[[Platycerium stemaria]]'' {{small| (P. Beauv.) Desv.)}}|| 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|120px]] ||Magnificent antler fern (''[[Platycerium superbum]]'' {{small| de Jonch. & Hennipman)}}|| Queensland and New South Wales.
|-
|[[File:Platycerium veitchii.jpg|120px]]||''[[Platycerium veitchii]]'' {{small| (Underw.) C. Chr.}} (Syn .: Platycerium bifurcatum subsp. Veitchii (Underw.) Hennipman & M. C. Roos)|| Queensland. 
|-
|[[File:Platycerium wallichii kz01.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium wallichii]]'' {{small| Hook .}}|| Northeastern India, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and western Yunnan. 
|-
|[[File:PlatyceriumWandae.JPG|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium wandae]]'' {{small| Racib .}}|| Papua New Guinea, Indonesia Papua and Maluku Island. 
|-
|[[File:Staghorn Fern Platycerium willinckii (7881230044).jpg|120px]] ||''[[Platycerium willinckii]]'' {{small|T. Moore}} (Also referred to as a subspecies of Platycerium bifurcatum subsp. Willinckii (T. Moore) Hennipman & M. C. Roos ).|| Sulawesi and Java
|-
|}

==Cultivation==
The species ''[[Platycerium bifurcatum]]'' and ''[[Platycerium superbum]]'' are commonly cultivated as [[ornamental plant]]s. These oddly shaped ferns grow on trees and rocks and can be found in [[gardens]], especially [[tropical garden]]s.

Staghorns can be [[plant propagation|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 {{convert|1|m|ft}} wide.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Gardenology.org-IMG 2429 rbgs11jan.jpg|''[[Platycerium superbum]]'' at the [[Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney]], [[Australia]]
File:Simbar menjangan.jpg|''[[Platycerium bifurcatum]]'' from the [[Candi Mendut|Mendut Temple]], [[Indonesia]]
File:Staghorn Fern (Platycerium coronarium) (8752670563).jpg|''[[Platycerium coronarium]]'' from [[Pahang]], [[Malaysia]]
File:Platycerium grande from Bukidnon, Philippines.jpg|''[[Platycerium grande]]'' from [[Bukidnon]], [[Philippines]]
File:Platycerium elephantotis - Leveäsarvisaniainen, (Älghornsbräken) IMG 3432 C.JPG|''[[Platycerium elephantotis]]'' at [[Kaisaniemi Botanical Garden]], [[Finland]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Commons category|Platycerium}}
{{Reflist}}
*{{Cite journal | volume = 26 | issue = 8 | pages = 749–757 | last = Holtum | first = Joseph A.M. |author2=Klaus Winter  | title = Degrees of crassulacean acid metabolism in tropical epiphytic and lithophytic ferns | journal = Functional Plant Biology | date = 1999-01-01 | doi = 10.1071/PP99001 }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1332675}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Platycerium| ]]
[[Category:Epiphytes]]
[[Category:Pantropical flora]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Asia]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Africa]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Australia]]
[[Category:Garden plants of South America]]
[[Category:Fern genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Nicaise Auguste Desvaux]]