Post by General Info on species on Jan 29, 2014 13:57:59 GMT
Copyright belongs to Sue Olsen from her book Encyclopedia of GARDEN
FERNS
With their unique outlines, the staghorn ferns are in a class all
by themselves.Wherever available, and sometimes when not
so available (making them all the more desirable), they have
attracted an ardent support group devoted to their culture and
definition. In nature they are epiphytes and in cultivation they
hang from assorted structures as outdoor greenery in Southern
California, Florida, and wherever else they can be protected
from the elements. Indoors they are prized in homes
and especially in conservatories where ancient specimens are
dominant features, peering like trophies from walls and hanging
their curious foliage from focal vantage points.
Structurally, platyceriums (Greek platy, broad, and keras,
horned) are extremely dimorphic. They have two frond types,
a “shield frond,” which is essentially a spongy, usually nonshowy,
but functional foot that provides ballast and attaches
wherever appropriate, be it on trees in nature or, in cultivation,
the grower’s choice of background support. Youthfully, it is
green, but in maturity can be a single or several times divided
papery tan “shield.” In areas of low rainfall these “shields” lean
forward from their arboreal perches and act as receptacles for
moisture and nutrients. In high-rainfall areas they close up to
prevent damage from an over accumulation of water.From this
foothold great wings of potentially fertile “antlerlike” fronds
extend upwards, but more often drape downwards, in speciesspecific,
multifingered configurations. Pale, star-shaped hairs
coat the foliage like soft fuzz and, when fertile, the frond tips are
cloaked in a spotty undercoat of brown sporangia patches
looking like random smudges. The sori are without indusia.
Plants can be grown, given time, from spores, but are best propagated
by the careful removal of “pups,” which are produced
from buds on the roots of a number of species.
Culturally, the commonly available staghorns are regarded
as somewhat finicky houseplants for the inexperienced or, for
Platycerium 305
Platycerium alcicorne in production at Henry’s Plant Farm.Note precautions
against overwatering.
the specialists, incredibly easy. Rarely available species can be
very demanding in their cultural needs and are best left for
the skills of the seasoned expert.However, for both, watering
is critical and not to be overdone. For an indicator, simply
touch the shield frond. If it oozes, do not add to the accumulated
hydraulics. Let the frond dry. I repeat here, as again and
again throughout these chapters, that most indoor fern mortalities
are due to excessive watering. Give these especially
water-sensitive species bright light, an occasional drink (unless
otherwise noted), and very lean soil.Attach them to a vertical
mount. For efficient and thorough watering, when required,
experts recommend a trip to and dip in the bathtub
followed by drip-drying.Most staghorns are not frost tolerant
but can be rotated without stress from indoors to out as a display
of hanging ornamentals in the temperate summer garden
or wherever benign weather gives them comfort.
Worldwide, there are 18 species with all but one, a South
American, growing in the tropics of Africa and Asia. For assistance
in identification, Hoshizaki and Moran (2001) divided
them into three groups based on areas of origin and several
distinguishing features including stipe design and root bud
production. The Malayan-Asiatic species have a stipe cross
section with a dark ring of tissue surrounding vascular bundles
arranged in a circle, which include scattered bundles
within the circle. Platycerium coronarium, P. grande, P. holttumii,
P. ridleyi, P. superbum, P. wallichii, and P. wandae are in
this group. They do not produce buds. African-American
species have the same vascular bundle configuration without
a dark ring of tissue. These include P. alcicorne, P. andinum, P
elephantotis, P. ellisii, P. madagascariense, P. quadridichotomum,
and P. stemaria. They do produce buds. Javan-Australian
species do not have a dark ring or inner bundles. They
also produce buds. Platycerium bifurcatum, P. hillii, P. veitchii,
and P. willinckii are in this group.
Platycerium andinum (from the Andes), the American
staghorn, has bushy upright shield fronds and long, drooping
fertile fronds that are broad at their base, then divided. It is
difficult and especially sensitive to overwatering.
Platycerium bifurcatum (divided into equal parts) is the
most commonly available and culturally adaptable staghorn.
Although quite variable, it typically has forking fronds that
are often both arching and pendant. Large plants form a spidery
mass of foliage.
Platycerium coronarium (forming a crown) is a staghorn
fern typical of the others in the genus in possessing, to my eyes,
a horrific magnificence, the plant kingdom’s equal of Louie
the Sun King in his most hyacinthine portrait. Like other
staghorns, this species grows as an epiphyte on primary forest
trees. It ranges widely in tropical Asia, where it forms the usual
upward-growing staghorn headdress (or “shield” as I read in
more proper writing on ferns), and the usual beardlike drapery
of narrow, curly green straps for fronds. These are said to
grow to 9 ft. (2.7 m) in length, but I have yet to see them more
than half that. (Description by George Schenk.)
Platycerium elephantotis (of the elephants), the Angola
staghorn, has entire fronds ribbed with veins and looking to
me (and perhaps the author of the name) like giant elephant
ears. It needs an abundance of water while in new growth, but
not while inactive in winter. It is cold sensitive.
Platycerium ellisii (after Ellis) is small (by Platycerium
standards) with shiny shield fronds and upright V-tipped
fronds looking like tulips in silhouette. It is considered challenging
to grow.
Platycerium grande (large, showy) is, true to name, a huge
beauty with a broad expanse of lacerated foliage. It is similar
to, and often confused with, P. superbum but has two patches
of sporangia per frond rather than one. In addition it is cold
sensitive whereas P. superbum is one of the few that will tolerate
a touch of frost.
Platycerium hillii (after Walter Hill, 1820–1904, superintendent
of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens in Australia), the
green staghorn, is an easily cultivated species with rounded
rather than pointed tips on the fertile fronds.
Platycerium holttumii (after Richard Holttum, 1895–1990,
an outstanding contributor to Malaysian botany and pteridology)
is a difficult giant with upright shield fronds and claws
of hanging fertile foliage. It is similar to P. wandae but without
fringed trim around the base. Good air circulation is strongly
advised.
Platycerium madagascariense (from Madagascar) is, according
to Platycerium specialist Charles Alford (pers.
comm.), the most difficult species to keep alive and presentable
in cultivation. The plants,with corridors of veins patterned
like waffles, are hosts to ants that in turn surround themselves
with unfriendly insect pals. V-shaped slightly fringed fertile
fronds hang with sporangia-trimmed lower margins. Plants
need to be especially warm.
Platycerium quadridichotomum (forking four times) is a
rarely available and challenging species in cultivation. The
sterile shield fronds, looking like giant feet, are upright with
pendant, forked, fertile fronds falling away from their heels.
The plant reportedly appears dead if allowed to dry out and
consequently curl during its dormant season, but does revive.
Platycerium ridleyi (after Sir Henry Ridley, 1855–1956,
botanical explorer and director of the Botanic Gardens of Singapore)
is another on the list of cultivation-resistant
staghorns.More than most species, it is a victim of rot and is
popular with insect pests, including colonies of ants that
choose its structure for their nest building. The fertile fronds
grow upright from helmet-style shield fronds and look like waving happy hands or the round-tipped antlers seen on
stuffed toy animals.
Platycerium stemaria (an old name for staghorn) has triangularly
lobed fertile fronds that spread like sails from base
fronds that look like bedroom slippers. It is cold sensitive and
needs extra heat as well as dry conditions for an optimal appearance.
Platycerium superbum (magnificent), the giant staghorn,
is, for many reasons, one of the very best for both beginners
and expert admirers.Handsome and bold shield fronds reach
upwards in broad, outward-extending fans ready to collect
moisture and nourishment for its fertile components. Swoops
of fertile fronds arch and then drop hands and multiple fingers
of foliage with, significantly, one fertile portion per frond (unlike
the similar, but less cold hardy P. grande, which has two
per frond). It is the most cold tolerant of the tribe, surviving
freezing temperatures, albeit briefly. In turn it is also forgiving
of extended periods of drought.Mind you, it is big, so place it
accordingly or be prepared to accommodate its presence by
moving some furniture.
Platycerium veitchii (for British nurseryman John Veitch,
1839–1870), silver staghorn, has upright torches of lovely soft
gray fronds with slender stalks and poly-forked-tipped wands.
They are vertical in bright light and will taper downwards in
shade. The woolly surface protects the fronds in their unfernlike,
native Australian habitats where they grow in full exposure
on the faces of sunny cliffs.Cultivate them in comparable
sites where they welcome bright light and minimum moisture
and tolerate cold, but not freezing weather.
Platycerium wallichii (after Nathaniel Wallich, 1786–1854,
a Danish physician-botanist who studied plants of India), Indian
staghorn, is a giant fern with a reputation as a short-lived
and difficult-to-cultivate species.Broad fertile fronds with upward
and outward prongs spray from a circular base frond. It
is the only species in the genus with green spores.
Platycerium wandae (after Wanda), the queen staghorn,
with a foliar expanse of 6 to 7 ft. (about 2 m) across is the largest
of a genus already crowded with super-sized species.Protective,
outer,winglike fronds surround the pendant fertile fronds that
hang like loose shrouds with tasseled tips. Sturdy, upright shield
fronds have pups that are fringed at their edges, distinguishing
this species from the rarer but somewhat similar P. holttumii. It
is cold sensitive and needs water only when in active growth.
Platycerium willinckii, Java staghorn, has long outwardarching
fountains of straplike fertile fronds that split into multiple
cattails midway down their descent. Emerging fertile
fronds extend as uprights from their large shield fern support
structure, but when weighted by maturity are carried gradually
downwards with an outward flow. Some authors classify this as a cultivar of P. bifurcatum although it is not as cold tolerant.
FERNS
With their unique outlines, the staghorn ferns are in a class all
by themselves.Wherever available, and sometimes when not
so available (making them all the more desirable), they have
attracted an ardent support group devoted to their culture and
definition. In nature they are epiphytes and in cultivation they
hang from assorted structures as outdoor greenery in Southern
California, Florida, and wherever else they can be protected
from the elements. Indoors they are prized in homes
and especially in conservatories where ancient specimens are
dominant features, peering like trophies from walls and hanging
their curious foliage from focal vantage points.
Structurally, platyceriums (Greek platy, broad, and keras,
horned) are extremely dimorphic. They have two frond types,
a “shield frond,” which is essentially a spongy, usually nonshowy,
but functional foot that provides ballast and attaches
wherever appropriate, be it on trees in nature or, in cultivation,
the grower’s choice of background support. Youthfully, it is
green, but in maturity can be a single or several times divided
papery tan “shield.” In areas of low rainfall these “shields” lean
forward from their arboreal perches and act as receptacles for
moisture and nutrients. In high-rainfall areas they close up to
prevent damage from an over accumulation of water.From this
foothold great wings of potentially fertile “antlerlike” fronds
extend upwards, but more often drape downwards, in speciesspecific,
multifingered configurations. Pale, star-shaped hairs
coat the foliage like soft fuzz and, when fertile, the frond tips are
cloaked in a spotty undercoat of brown sporangia patches
looking like random smudges. The sori are without indusia.
Plants can be grown, given time, from spores, but are best propagated
by the careful removal of “pups,” which are produced
from buds on the roots of a number of species.
Culturally, the commonly available staghorns are regarded
as somewhat finicky houseplants for the inexperienced or, for
Platycerium 305
Platycerium alcicorne in production at Henry’s Plant Farm.Note precautions
against overwatering.
the specialists, incredibly easy. Rarely available species can be
very demanding in their cultural needs and are best left for
the skills of the seasoned expert.However, for both, watering
is critical and not to be overdone. For an indicator, simply
touch the shield frond. If it oozes, do not add to the accumulated
hydraulics. Let the frond dry. I repeat here, as again and
again throughout these chapters, that most indoor fern mortalities
are due to excessive watering. Give these especially
water-sensitive species bright light, an occasional drink (unless
otherwise noted), and very lean soil.Attach them to a vertical
mount. For efficient and thorough watering, when required,
experts recommend a trip to and dip in the bathtub
followed by drip-drying.Most staghorns are not frost tolerant
but can be rotated without stress from indoors to out as a display
of hanging ornamentals in the temperate summer garden
or wherever benign weather gives them comfort.
Worldwide, there are 18 species with all but one, a South
American, growing in the tropics of Africa and Asia. For assistance
in identification, Hoshizaki and Moran (2001) divided
them into three groups based on areas of origin and several
distinguishing features including stipe design and root bud
production. The Malayan-Asiatic species have a stipe cross
section with a dark ring of tissue surrounding vascular bundles
arranged in a circle, which include scattered bundles
within the circle. Platycerium coronarium, P. grande, P. holttumii,
P. ridleyi, P. superbum, P. wallichii, and P. wandae are in
this group. They do not produce buds. African-American
species have the same vascular bundle configuration without
a dark ring of tissue. These include P. alcicorne, P. andinum, P
elephantotis, P. ellisii, P. madagascariense, P. quadridichotomum,
and P. stemaria. They do produce buds. Javan-Australian
species do not have a dark ring or inner bundles. They
also produce buds. Platycerium bifurcatum, P. hillii, P. veitchii,
and P. willinckii are in this group.
Platycerium andinum (from the Andes), the American
staghorn, has bushy upright shield fronds and long, drooping
fertile fronds that are broad at their base, then divided. It is
difficult and especially sensitive to overwatering.
Platycerium bifurcatum (divided into equal parts) is the
most commonly available and culturally adaptable staghorn.
Although quite variable, it typically has forking fronds that
are often both arching and pendant. Large plants form a spidery
mass of foliage.
Platycerium coronarium (forming a crown) is a staghorn
fern typical of the others in the genus in possessing, to my eyes,
a horrific magnificence, the plant kingdom’s equal of Louie
the Sun King in his most hyacinthine portrait. Like other
staghorns, this species grows as an epiphyte on primary forest
trees. It ranges widely in tropical Asia, where it forms the usual
upward-growing staghorn headdress (or “shield” as I read in
more proper writing on ferns), and the usual beardlike drapery
of narrow, curly green straps for fronds. These are said to
grow to 9 ft. (2.7 m) in length, but I have yet to see them more
than half that. (Description by George Schenk.)
Platycerium elephantotis (of the elephants), the Angola
staghorn, has entire fronds ribbed with veins and looking to
me (and perhaps the author of the name) like giant elephant
ears. It needs an abundance of water while in new growth, but
not while inactive in winter. It is cold sensitive.
Platycerium ellisii (after Ellis) is small (by Platycerium
standards) with shiny shield fronds and upright V-tipped
fronds looking like tulips in silhouette. It is considered challenging
to grow.
Platycerium grande (large, showy) is, true to name, a huge
beauty with a broad expanse of lacerated foliage. It is similar
to, and often confused with, P. superbum but has two patches
of sporangia per frond rather than one. In addition it is cold
sensitive whereas P. superbum is one of the few that will tolerate
a touch of frost.
Platycerium hillii (after Walter Hill, 1820–1904, superintendent
of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens in Australia), the
green staghorn, is an easily cultivated species with rounded
rather than pointed tips on the fertile fronds.
Platycerium holttumii (after Richard Holttum, 1895–1990,
an outstanding contributor to Malaysian botany and pteridology)
is a difficult giant with upright shield fronds and claws
of hanging fertile foliage. It is similar to P. wandae but without
fringed trim around the base. Good air circulation is strongly
advised.
Platycerium madagascariense (from Madagascar) is, according
to Platycerium specialist Charles Alford (pers.
comm.), the most difficult species to keep alive and presentable
in cultivation. The plants,with corridors of veins patterned
like waffles, are hosts to ants that in turn surround themselves
with unfriendly insect pals. V-shaped slightly fringed fertile
fronds hang with sporangia-trimmed lower margins. Plants
need to be especially warm.
Platycerium quadridichotomum (forking four times) is a
rarely available and challenging species in cultivation. The
sterile shield fronds, looking like giant feet, are upright with
pendant, forked, fertile fronds falling away from their heels.
The plant reportedly appears dead if allowed to dry out and
consequently curl during its dormant season, but does revive.
Platycerium ridleyi (after Sir Henry Ridley, 1855–1956,
botanical explorer and director of the Botanic Gardens of Singapore)
is another on the list of cultivation-resistant
staghorns.More than most species, it is a victim of rot and is
popular with insect pests, including colonies of ants that
choose its structure for their nest building. The fertile fronds
grow upright from helmet-style shield fronds and look like waving happy hands or the round-tipped antlers seen on
stuffed toy animals.
Platycerium stemaria (an old name for staghorn) has triangularly
lobed fertile fronds that spread like sails from base
fronds that look like bedroom slippers. It is cold sensitive and
needs extra heat as well as dry conditions for an optimal appearance.
Platycerium superbum (magnificent), the giant staghorn,
is, for many reasons, one of the very best for both beginners
and expert admirers.Handsome and bold shield fronds reach
upwards in broad, outward-extending fans ready to collect
moisture and nourishment for its fertile components. Swoops
of fertile fronds arch and then drop hands and multiple fingers
of foliage with, significantly, one fertile portion per frond (unlike
the similar, but less cold hardy P. grande, which has two
per frond). It is the most cold tolerant of the tribe, surviving
freezing temperatures, albeit briefly. In turn it is also forgiving
of extended periods of drought.Mind you, it is big, so place it
accordingly or be prepared to accommodate its presence by
moving some furniture.
Platycerium veitchii (for British nurseryman John Veitch,
1839–1870), silver staghorn, has upright torches of lovely soft
gray fronds with slender stalks and poly-forked-tipped wands.
They are vertical in bright light and will taper downwards in
shade. The woolly surface protects the fronds in their unfernlike,
native Australian habitats where they grow in full exposure
on the faces of sunny cliffs.Cultivate them in comparable
sites where they welcome bright light and minimum moisture
and tolerate cold, but not freezing weather.
Platycerium wallichii (after Nathaniel Wallich, 1786–1854,
a Danish physician-botanist who studied plants of India), Indian
staghorn, is a giant fern with a reputation as a short-lived
and difficult-to-cultivate species.Broad fertile fronds with upward
and outward prongs spray from a circular base frond. It
is the only species in the genus with green spores.
Platycerium wandae (after Wanda), the queen staghorn,
with a foliar expanse of 6 to 7 ft. (about 2 m) across is the largest
of a genus already crowded with super-sized species.Protective,
outer,winglike fronds surround the pendant fertile fronds that
hang like loose shrouds with tasseled tips. Sturdy, upright shield
fronds have pups that are fringed at their edges, distinguishing
this species from the rarer but somewhat similar P. holttumii. It
is cold sensitive and needs water only when in active growth.
Platycerium willinckii, Java staghorn, has long outwardarching
fountains of straplike fertile fronds that split into multiple
cattails midway down their descent. Emerging fertile
fronds extend as uprights from their large shield fern support
structure, but when weighted by maturity are carried gradually
downwards with an outward flow. Some authors classify this as a cultivar of P. bifurcatum although it is not as cold tolerant.