;~ ... ~ .. : .. : ..... : .. .".4, ..

IUM

.... '"

.. ~ """.. 4 ~ t I : ~

YCPL---...

'.

... ,," .... I

.::.:":::.':' :.~" ..

"~"~'~~ ~~,:..\.:'.. '"I :.".. II r I .-'\ ,'I , ..

HOBBYIST'S

PL........... YC~ ; : ~:::to : -:--;

~ .. .. ..

:ii if.';:V Yi':: i :., '

" i :: : :: : ~: ; ;. : ;, ..

: i J~t i

IUM

BY ROY VAIL

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Vail, Roy (l937 - )Platycerium Hobbyist's Handbook

], Ferns 1. Title

SB 429,V35 ]984 635.9'37'31 84-72020

ISBN: 0-9614003-0-7

Copyright 1984 by Roy Vail

Please respect the author's efforts and rights,and do not duplicate, copy, or store thematerial in this book an any way.

-DB p- Desert Biological PublicationsBox 722Mena, Arkansas, 71953

First edition:First PrintingSecond PrintingThird PrintingForth PrintingFifth PrintingSixth PrintingSeventh PrintingEighth PrintingNinth PrintingTenth PrintingEleventh PrintingTwelfth PrintingThirteenth Printing

October 1984February 1985

May 1985November 1989September 1990

July 1992May 1993June 1995

February 1997September 1997

March 1998October 1999

February 2000

This photo of a giantP. wandae is alsoFig. 9. The color printreveals a light dust ofbrown spores on the uppersurface of the fertilefronds.

Table of Contents

ForewardAcknowledgementsIntroduction

125

InformationGeneralChapter 1NamesParts of a Staghorn FernGrowth Patterns .

Chapter 2 CultivationRooting MaterialMounting or AttachmentPests .FertilizerWater .....EnvironmentChemical Application

99

1221222326

Chapter 3 PropagationTissue CulturePups .Spore Culture

313335

Chapter 4 SpeciesP. alcicorneP. andinwnP. bifurcatwnP. coronar't-wnP. ellisiiP. elephantotisP. grandeP. hilliiP. holttumiiP. madagascarienseP. quadridichotomumP. ridleyiP. stemariaP. superbumP. veitchiiP. wallichiiP. wandaeP. willinckii

4549525662667174767984879196

101105109113

Chapter 5 CultivarsIntroduc.tion 121The Cultivars 124Other Cultivar Notes 157

Chapter 6 ItemsHybrids ] 59Ne-.;v Species 1591'''108S Note 159Suppliers 163Fe rn Periodicals 164Books and Reprints............................... 165

Conclusion 167

Index 169

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank the many people who allowed me to visit theircollections, ask questions, and take photographs. These include:Dr. Frank Schlicht, Virginia Ault, John Bender, Elaine Spear,Rick Neidhart, Robert Oman, Mickey Carmichael, Fantastic Gardens,Mildred Murray, John Wills, Don Callard, Ray Sodomka, BoydHarrin, Marvin Haworth, Carolyn Rodefer, Frank Stewart, Ed Moore,John Roach, Kartuz Greenhouse, Rudolf Ziesenhenne, DorothyEstabrook, Bill and Helen Shortt, Bill Cook, Porter's Tropicals,Dr. Mardy Darian, Susann Harper, Susan Eatherton, Dr. Hank B.Weyland, and Jule Pauliny.

Many have helped in special ways: Tom Henrichs and his family putup with me for days, and Tom and I traveled together in Florida,Ralph and Elizabeth Hughes have given many hours of help, manyPlatycerium~ and allowed me days in their extensive Platyceriumexperimental collection, Jerry Horne gave much horticulturaladvice and his family welcomed me during visits three summers,Phyllis and Ed Bates spent days making contacts for me andwe visited collections together in southern California, ErnieSanchez spent nearly a day answering questions and carryingplants around in his nursery for me to photograph, David Millerphotographed plants in his nursery since my visit there was at aninopportune time, Dorothy Behrends talked with me about the Casscultivars on the morning of her 76th birthday, Milton Piedra wasan exquisite host in Miami, Barbara Joe Hoshizaki commented onmy questions, Eugenio Pingatore of Argentina made the finedrawing on page 43, Eth Williams related her experiences withP. madagascariense~ and the San Diego Fern Society sponsoredthe printing of the covers. If I have forgotten anyone, I canonly say I am sorry, it was not intentional. The Platyceriumhobby is full of nice and interesting people.

Phyllis Bates, and my mother, Mariann Vail, read early forms ofthe text and offered extremely valuable suggestions and neededencouragement. Ralph Hughes, Tom Henrichs and Susan Eathertonreviewed later versions and each contributed significantly toimproving the book. However, not all these people agree witheverything I have written. Any mistakes, misconceptions, oropinions are entirely my own.

Common names are from Ralph H. Hughes, 1981, Conn~lon Names ofStaghorn Ferns, Fiddlehead Forum, Vol. 8(3) :21, May-June. Theinformation for distribution maps is mainJy from Hennipman, E.and Roos, :'1. C. 1982, A >1onograph of the Fern Genus rZ':C(;J:,u:.:el'!::.'I/,>!.1\11 maps, drmvlngs and photos are by the author unless othendseindicated.

FOREWARn

I have known Roy Vail for several years and have watched thisbook progress from just an idea to reality. Roy and I sharetwo things: a fascination with the genus PZatycerium that, attimes, borders on an obsession, and relative isolation fromthe rest of the staghorn world. Hence, I can feel a specialempathy for the problems envolved in this project. Roytraveled nearly 12,000 miles in the last 3 years, most of it onbusses. He has visited nearly every commercial dealer and majorprivate collector of Platycerium in the U.S. I accompanied himon one trip to Florida and observed first hand the countlessrolls of film taken and the numerous questions he asked ofvarious collectors. I particularly remember one sultry eveningsitting together on Milton Piedra's front porch about 10 PM . e had spent all day visiting nurseries in Miami and werewaiting for Milton to arrive, as he had agreed to "put us up"for the night. I thought to myself, "l don't know how I made itthrough today!" Then I thought about Roy doing it day after day,Dany times after sleeping in his seat on the bus at night. Itbas to take a special dedication to devote the amount of timeand money that Roy has, to a project that holds no guarantee ofsuccess. I don't know how much time Roy has devoted tocorrespondence with other collectors, but if the dozens ofletters in my file are any indication, he has been busy nightand day.

Roy Vail is a high school biology teacher, who has beenphotographing plants as a hobby for 30 years. He lives on thedesert, about 5 miles north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. At4,000 feet elevation, Roy has the dual problems of very lowhumidity and large temperature differentials. He has overcomethese problems by designing and constructing his own greenhouse.It is sunk 4 feet in the ground with earth bermed up almost9 feet against the north wall. He uses the earth to moderatetemperature and uses evaporative cooling aspen pads and fans to.aintain sufficient humidity and limit high temperatures. Withthe relative lack of insect pests that bother Platycerium in hislocation, he has been able to provide growing conditionsthat often surpass those of areas normally considered conduciveto good staghorn culture, i. e. south Florida and coastalsouthern California. Additionally, Roy has providedaicro-climates within his greenhouse by the use of alternatingtranslucent fiberglass and opaque panels.

This book is unique in that no one previously has attempted tophotographically document all the cultivars. It also fillsthe void in current information readily understandable by theamateur hobbyist. It is the first individual undertaking, notrelated to a research paper or scientific publication sinceWendy Franks' book in 1975. Both the beginner and the expertwill" find useful information included.

Roy and I share one other thing:discover the rewarding hobby ofbelieve that with this book, Roytoward stimulating interest in the

Tom Henrichs

the sincere hope that othersgrowing staghorn ferns; I

has made a major contributiongenus Platycerium.

Foley, Alabama

INTRODUCTION

"!'1y hope is this book ,,-"ill be a service to the ~;Z':;:'>~'i?r'?:;A.'.-r:;hob by i s t \.;'h[) is jus t s tar tingas ",7elI as t 11 eon e \~"h 0 hasgrm."T1 these ferns for vears. The beginner will find a'v.7ca1thof infonnation based on the experiences uf others andnumerous example species, cultivars and methods which canopen nE\"7 viev.'s and interests in th is hobby. The cxper i enc cdhobbyist will find a level of treatment never before givent he genus PLG-t~/ce1:>i"'JTi.

But no one who writes a book on a group of plants knows allthere is to know about that group of plants. The total expertjus t isn I t alive. Rudy Ziesenhenne told mE., liTo knov.' theseplants you have to GROh' them. People who ",>rite hooks fromother books aren I t doing anybody any good. 11 Realizing this,I have relied as little as possible on the writings of otherpeopJe, and as much as possible on my O\

II. There could be other books 1;0'ritten about PI'2bic,gJ.'~~V]Ti.-'

:-ly vi.siting also forced me to decide early Hhat type ofmaterial vlOuld be in this book. The title ltP1at)'ceriumHobbyist's Handbook!! guided me to include what could beuseful or interesting to anyone 1;.,]ho has some PZa-tyceY'iwnand wants to pick up a book that tells what they are andhow to grow them.

There is also a very different type of information.Largely in the memories of people now in their 70s and80s are accounts of the early days of collecting,import ing, and gnJ\,7ing .?Z(Z tjjC>CI'i:um. They are sto ries 0 fcompetition, feuds. personalities, explorations, dnd tlumanevents, which all will slowly be lost as these people passon. It would take long recorded discussions with manypeople to even begin to put these stories together In ameaningful way, far beyond the scope of this book. Theresulting book would not tell the reader a thing abouthenv to grm....' 0 r identify r~~a1.:yceI"iZAr:'7:J however it 1;,"oul d befascinating reading.

III. The difficult species are difficult for everyone.

Fe\ver than five people known to me keep P. mad'aga.'3caY'?~,enBe, 7' , h II Jor ? CrJ.Cictri..,.c.7...J~j'Zoromwn Wlt any success. '.. 1lS c,oes not

mean keeping them is impossible. It may mean they requirespec ial care, and special environmental conditions, 1;-Jhichfew people are willing to provide year after year.

IV. Please keep those labels.

There are many large and beautiful PZatuceY'iu'T! \'1hoseu

labels have been lost. To the beginning hobbyist it seemsplants take forever to become large or pup, but in a fewyears some are giants and others have pups galore. Butwhere are the labels? Too often the Platycerium have

overgrcn~TJl them, or the pen faded I or the plastic labelcracked and part of it fell off. The name is gone.

The solution is prevention. Use metal labels, non-fadingnursery pens, nail labels to the front ALl\D back of boards,or paint them, engrave them, woodburn them, do anythingto make the label permanent. No one can remember the namesof an entire collection. Please keep those labels.

V. Insist on correct labels and information.

It make.s a collection of PZ-Gtyee rl~.UYT;it has as much history as possible oncollection one has a label that goespeople, the last on the list collected

more interesting ifeach plant. In myback through threeit in Madagascar.

But, if you buy a plant from a dealer with what you feelis incorre.ct information, take the dealer to task. Onehobbyist had on the S3me wall three very J.iffercntplants, all bought from the same dealer, all sold asP. b'if'7.lreat"i)Pi" CV. Haj us. She thinks the dealer justlabels plants Hith the Ilame the customer is requesting.In my opinion the dealer doesn't deserve to be i.nbusiness. Incorrect informatioIl is worse than none at all.

VI. There is great concern about the destruction of tropicalforests by man.

Hy startj.ng attitude toward collectlng In tne vnJ d andimport ing ,-Jas: Pl-atyeeY"iU,In should id e811y be propagatedfrom pups and spores so those in nature could be leftthere. But many collec.tors and importers feel the tropicalforests are being destroyed so rapidly by oil companies,lumber companies~ or for crops and cities, that the verybest chance the PZatyccr{urn have is to get them from thewild and into cultivation. It is not clear to me whichview is the more realistic, but concern about destructionof tropical rain forests is very real.

Very deba table si tuat ions have developed over the et hi.csof collec t ing. One col lee tor 'iVan ted the PlatLieer'ium in

.. '

the upper branches of a tree, but would have to cut thetree dmrn. The collecting permit forbid that. Returninga year later, the collector found that very tree had beencut dm.Jl1 to clear the. land, and the PL.cztiieeJ''1>wr: no doubthad died. The collector then illegally c~t down a nearbytree and got the PLci~Llc:er[Y:Jn in it. Should the secondtree have been left for probably' the same fate as thefirst?

In another case, an article was being written. Itdescribed the environmental conditions un an island wherePlatyecY'1:wn v..'cre collected and exported. Then it describedhow they adapted to the different environmental conditionsin ana ther par L 0 f the \-Jorld. Befo re publ ishing thearticle, its author discovered that the plants were

collected and exported clandestinely. Should the articlebe published, showing that the author purchased illegallycollected plants, or withheld, even though that means the

result~ of the study will be lost?

VII. The naming of cultivars is completely out of control.

You could name any Platyceriv~ after any person, place, orthing not already used as a name, and that name could getinto the trade. Unlike orchids and begonias, tilere is noorganization which outlines the rules for giving namesand then registers the names.

The cultivar section in this book is the most completeever published, with a photo of nearly everyone, but thephotos also show that few of the cultivars are distinct.Often the differences between cultivars were originallycaused by growing the plants in unusual environments. ffi18nthey are grown in the same environment side by side, thedifferences disappear. Very often the diffe~ences betweenthe fronds fanned by one plant may be greater than thedifferences between cultivars.

VIII. The current cultivars have been formed mainly by chance.

The reason so many of the cultivars look alike after beinggrown in the same conditions is their formation has beenlargely by chance. The days when a truly unique cultivarcan be found as a volunteer sporeling, or as a slightlydifferent plant among many sporelings, are about over.Now is the time to begin systematically developing newcultivars by selecting specific traits among sporelingsover several generations.

ror example, if the goal of a breeding program is for verywide but undiv:Lded fertile fronds, locate two cultivarsnow available that show wide fertile fronds, carefullycross thern~ select among their offspring for the verywidest that are undivided, cross them, select again andkeep selecting for an extremely wide cultivar. The samecan be done for high number of pointed tips, for tipsthat curve to the side, for long narrow fronds, or anyother tra it.

IV

There are no known variegated PZatycerium cultivars. Someexperiments with irradiated spore, even using ultra violetlight, might produce some.

What has been lacking is systematic effort to developPlatycerium cultivars that show specific forms.

IX. Truly observe these interesting plants.

Taking notes on what your Platycerium are doing duringthe year adds dimensions to your hobby. What time of theyear do different species form shield fronds? When arethey growing fertile fronds? When are the shield frondsall dead? When are the shield fronds all green? m1enare the plants dormant? What species go dormant? How longdo the fertile fronds live? How early can you tell wherethe spore patch will be? Share this information so it canbecome known if the answers to these questions aredifferent in different localities.

Fig. 1 A variegated, green and yellow, Platyceriumin the nursery of Jerry Horne, in Miami, in1980. Later the plant turned all yellow anddied. None of the pups were variegated.

v

x. Support responsible small nllrseri.es.

Most of the PZatycerium of interest to the serioushobbyist are grown, developed, or imported by a very fewsmall nurseries. In these days of big business, it isdifficult for these little nurseries to keep going. Findthe truly reliable ones and support them. Support can comein many forms. Send them pups they can sell, send themstarts of cultivars that are truly different, ask them forspore and give them some of the sporelings in trade.Support also means buying from them. They live on moneylike the rEst of us. The Platyccrium hobby has beenimproved greatly by the small nurseries.

XI. If you travel, take notes, take pictures, and write.

Those who are fortunate enough to travel to the placesPlatyce1"l.:wn are native can help the rest of us greatly.Take notes on Hhere the PZatycer1.>uJrl grow, photographthem, and when you return, ,,'rite an article for a hobbyistpublication. But, remember your readers. Even though yourmost vivid experiences may be in the traveling~ thehobbyist reading your article is looking for informationthat Hill aid in understanding and growing P!atyceriwn.Write what is accurate and practical for the reader.

A "f'Zatycerium picture is truly worth a thousand words, sothere are no long technical descriptions of species orcultivars in this book. Descriptions are hardly possiblewith the cultivars. and are readily available elsewhere forthe species.

Finally; the best reason to keep any Platycerium is becauseyou like it. Keeping correct labels and names is extremelyimportant, but even in my collection there are a few with nonames, there just because I LIKE them.

IIIi

.,

\\

\...

i\1

!\\

P. b i fur cat um c v. Ma jus

VII

CHAPTER ONE: General Information

I. Names:

Scientific names are part of a classification system made,,,ith the goal 0 f showing na l ural rela t ionships . AIl plantsand animals are given two word scientific names. The firstword is the genus name, the second the species name.Staghorn ferns all have the genus name Plat'LIc:eriuJTI.Closely related genera (genera is the plural for ge;ws) aregrouped in to Families. PZatycerium is in the familyPolypodiaceae which ill so contains PYY':r'OHi~a, their cIa ses trelatives.

Currently 18 speciesThree natural groups ofregion, seem evident:

of PZ-atyceriurn are recognized.J;;PlatuceriuJr) , each from a di.fferent

,)

Java-Australian

b-ifuY'caturnhi.llii

MalayclIl-Asiat ic

c.' 7rni-0 "Y'b" I,??~) .-"1,.:.." ....... ..L. (/l..J,'!11.0 ZttvJn1: ..igrande,,;)andaeUQ Zl "~c hh:

corOnaYl-VFI

Alro-Ameri.can

a lctcorne

3 f;(3,m(JX~1:.ae Ze~)hantotis

7

an 0:0 nW17

, .

rnaaagaeCQY'7.. enDC

The order andrelationships.individually,

groupingLater,

they are

under ea ch loc-a t ton is to 811m,"~'lhere the spec-J.e's are discussed

arranged alphabetically for ease.

* Variety name (var.), subspecies names (ssp), andcultivar names (cv.) 1DC1Y be after the species name.Hennipman and Roos, in the book, IIA Honogr

II. Parts of a staghorn fern:

A. Bud-All new growth starts in the bud. It may becovered with thin scales. The shape, thicknessand color of the scales are sometimes used toidentify species. If the bud of your plant isdead, for all practical purposes, your plant isdead also, though it may take several weeks forall the other parts to turn brown and falloff.

B. Rhizome-As the bud makes new growth, it moves fonvard andupward, forming behind it a type of stem calleda rhizome. The rhizome is hidden among the shieldfronds and does not show unless they are cut.

s ore patch

fertile frond

bud

rhi zomeroots

shield frond

Fig 2 Parts of the staghorn fern. The rhizomehas been dra\.,rn lonp,er than it is.

_7_

Fig. 3 The rhizome dissected froma dead P. coronarium.

shield

bud

rhizome

Fig. 4. The end of the rhizome in Fig. 3, the whitedots are vascular bundles.

-3-

C. Fronds-The leaves of ferns (and palms) are calledfronds. Staghorns form two types of fronds.

1. Fertile fronds-These grow down or outward from the bud,and produce spore patches. Not all fertilefronds on young plants form spore patches,but those on mature plants with adequatelight should.

2. Shield fronds-These grow back from the bud, and coverthe roots. In most species they turnbrown quickly, becoming a thick mass ofwater and f~od storage cork. with rootsbetween the layers.

D. Roots-Branching off the rhizome, they grow between theold shield fronds, and in the material thatnaturally collects behind the shield fronds.

Fig. 5

Newly imported P. coronarium~with shields and bud. Shieldsare cut back to decreaseshipping weight. The plantsoon recovers.

-4-

III. Growth pattcrns-

In nature ?latyeeY"iurn Live as epi phytes, plants that grov]upon other plants, but make their own food. Most bromelladsand orchids are also epiphytes. Often living high in thebranches of trees, epiphytes must sornchm.J solve three mainproblems:

A. Attaching themselves firmlyB. Collecting nutrientsC. Collecting and storing water

These problems are solved some,,,ha t dif ferently by thesolitary species than they are by the species that formpups.

Solitary species:

These species reproduce only by spores and grow into singlegigantic specimens with only one bud. They solve the threeproblems of epiphytes by:

A. Attachment:Their attachment problem is solved by the large shield

fronds wrapping around the tree trunk, and to a lesserextent, the roots growing into the outer, non-livinglayers of the tree.

B. Nutrients:Nutrients and organic matter hutld up in gn::at amounts

behind their shield fronds. Older shield fronds die androll hack. while other natural material collects.

C. Hater:Their water problems are solved by the spreading tops of

the shield [rands collecting rainwater which runs downinto the shi.eld frond mass behi-nd the plant and is stored.

The solitary species are:

P. qY'andeP. ho l t !;um?: r[

~P. ridleyi is an exception to these. It stays smaller and doesnot collect nutrients or water as described.

-5-

Pup-forming species:

The size of the clusters these species form is massive. Afriend of mine saw a cluster of P. bifurcatum that grew soheavy it pulled the bark off the tree and a cluster the sizeof a small car fell to the ground. As another example,P. alcicorne is reported to entirely cover the trunks ofpalm trees, from near the ground up to where the palm frondsform shade.

A. Attachment:They solve the problem of attachment by

which completely surrounds the sternplant.

making a massof the support

B. Nutrients:The different species vary in how much nutrient matter

they build up behind their shield fronds from whatfalls there. Those with shield fronds whose top edgeextends forward, away from the tree, build up decayingmaterial in back. Those whose shield frond top growsagainst the tree must get their nutrients from theirown old shield fronds as they die.

Fig. 6

A tiny bud on the surfaceof the shield frond of thepup-forming cultivar,P. bifurcatum cv. SantaBarbara.

-6-

C. Water:Water in great amounts can be stored in the cork

tissue of old shield fronds. One species is from anarea that can go without rain for three months.

The pup-forming species are:

P. alc'icorne p . elephantot'in P. quadridichotomu~P. " . n ellir-n>i D .stemariaanQ'&nurn L L P. lJij'urcatwi1 1) hi: Ill:?: P. veitchiirP. coronar&wn lJ . madaaascaY'iense P. willinckii,)

The method of surviving in nature of the pup-forming spec~~:and solitary species is very different. In solitary speci~~,the individual being able to live for a long time is the ba~::of survival. In pup-forming species, the cluster or group __the basis of survival. An individual of the pup-formi~;species may die, or be lost, as long as the group survivE~So, in nature, collecting plants from a cluster of _pup-forming staghorn is not nearly the threat to survival =~its species as collecting plants of a solitary staghorn ::to its species. The pup-forming one can replace the pla~::lost with pups from those that remain, but the solitary _.,_can replace those lost only if there are successful spo~~,that come in from other locations.

For additional reading-Hoshizaki, Barbara Joe, Morophology and Phylogeny of

Platyccri7Al71. Biotropica, 1972, 4(2) 93-117 Astudy of cells and tissue structure. Contains akey to species, and a diagram of the relationshipof the species.

Hoshizaki, Barbara Joe, The Rhizome Scales ofPlatyc~riu~. Amer. Fern J., 1970, 60;144-160

-7-

Fig. 7 Healthy bud of P. coronar~um~ with rhizomescales.

-8-

CHAPTER TWO: Cultivation

There are almost as many ways of c.ultivating staghorns asthere are people who do it. The seneral ideas are:

I. The staghorn needs material \vhere roots can grow.

Currently most hobbyists and nurseries use sphagnum alone,regular or green. Mosses from Wisconsin, Hashington,Florida, Oregon, Michigan and Germany are commerciallyavailable. Hail-order suppliers sell moss by the hale.Since osmunda fiber lasts longer and drains faster,growers Hhere excessive rainfall is a problem mi.x it withsphagnum moss. SphClgnum peat is rarely used since it holdsmuch moisture and gives off a material that stains theshield fronds. The product called orchid bark is reportedto cause many root problems.

II. The staghorn must be attached or mounted.

A. General c.onsiderations-The type of mounting used for aFLatyceI'iul71 depends on

how the owner wants it to develop. The plants areadaptable. RedHcJOd or cypress boards'';-, drit\.;rood, corkpJ.aques, chickenwire baskets, wcldwire baskets, redwoodboxes, redHood flats \vith chickemvire over the [rant;flmver pots, treefc:rn pots, trees, big balls of moss onchains, poles with creosote running out, are all usedsome\vhere by someone. In nature FI(J.tyceY'-7~wn even grow onrocks.

When ne\dly received a staghorn may be in a flovler pot.Usually such plants nre large enough. to be transferred toa moss mounting. Such plants are only juveniles, so tryto learn what siL:C they can become and pJ an accordingly.

non-renewablegrmv them on

rarely replacr:d.these historicand coat it to

are essentiallypractical to

are cut arethe removal ofto use pine,

* Both redwood and cypressresources. It is notplantations so those thatRather than contribute totrees, it seems betterprevent its rotting.

-9-

Fig. 7 Two large balls of P. veitchii cv. Lemoinei.

Fig. 9

One of the largest specimeJof solitary staghornsthis country is this gialP. wandae in a tree ofcollector in Miami.

-10-

When mounting, considerspecies that stay solitarySpecial requirements forChapter 4.

the differences between theand those which form pups.particular species are in

B. Solitary species-These are mounted on boards, on trees, or on redwoodboxes. A common way is to put roofing nails around theedge of a board, or on the tree. Small plastic coatedwire is wrapped around the nails and then across theshields. The large heads of roofing nails keep the wirefrom coming off. New shield fronds will grow over thewires and nails. More wire is added as the plant getslarger. Some people drill holes in the boards, then runnylon line through them, or put nylon netting over themoss and staple the netting to the board.

If the plant gets too large for the first board, itmay be best to fasten the first board onto the nextlarger board. In any case, do not damage the bud, orcover it.

Fig. 10

A "Bill Shortt Box."It is packed withmoss and chickenwireis put on the front.The shape of thewater trough in thetop assures watergets to the roots.

-11-

c. Pup-forming species-As time goes by, these will form pups and clusters in

nearly every case. If the pups are to remain, plan ,,;'herethey can be. On a board, the parent plant can be put onan extra large pad of moss, and plan for the pups to formaround the edge. On driftwood, moss can be packed inplaces where the roots should grow and become the buds ofpups.

In round baskets, the parent plant is often put in theopen top so the pups can form on the sides. Rectangularwire baskets are often made only eight or ten em (twoor three inches) thick, so the roots soon reach the back,,;,here they form pups.

Hmvever, pups ,vill not form where planned unless thespot is kept moist. The most common mistake in makinga basket is to pack the moss too loosely for it to staymoist, so the expected pups never form. On a board,if the moss on each side is not kept moist, the pupscome out: the top and the bottom, ",-here the moisturetends to he.

There can nol be a single best wayKeep in mind the requirements ofahead for the appearance you desire.

lO mount D"l,-d"",,_oT'-;I IYri.. .:... .:....... :....{. V :...;~ J'.J.. (.' ,.....: .. I.

the species, nnc1 jHan

III. The staghorn must live relatively free of pests.

A. Insects:

1. Control Program-Part of the reason sOllle grOl.Jers "have luck l1 "''ith the

difficult PlQty::el'>iv_/i? species is they control inE;ccts.Control means preventing insects from getting started,rather than ,,'aiting to battle outbreaks. One sm,rbugcan make a mess out of fronds that took a year togrow. Waiting for this to happen doesn't make sense.There is 3 saying, "A caekroach ,,,auld \oJalk a mile justto eat a l:JZati))ceY"iwn r:dleL,'i.!! Don't wait for him to

u

get there, stop him in his tracks.

Sprayfrondsand as

the plants completely. Sometimes the tips ofcan burn because the spray runs dm.JTI to them,

the water evaporates, the spray is concentrated

-12-

there. Normally spraying should be done after wateringto avoid allowing the spray to soak to the roots.However, if an insect keeps reappearing, it could becoming out of the moss, and a thorough drenching of themoss and roots may be the only cure.

With a program forprevention, it isimportant not to relyon just one spray asinsects may developresistance. Pickabout three and rotatetheir use.

2. Buying insecticides*

Since insecticideconcentrations varybetween brands and indifferent countries,and since ferns as agroup are sensitiveto insecticides, thesafest rule is usethem at half strength.Only with PZatyceriumwhich are in very highlight where they arehard and tough, shouldeven 3/4 strength beused.

Fig. 10Tip of fertile frondof P. hiZZii cv. Panamaburned by insecticide.

Dealing with sensitive plants makes it necessary toread the ingredients of insecticides. It is notnecessary to pronounce the long names to recognizethose that are identical. Sevin is Carbaryl (l-napthylN-methylcarbamate), the active ingredient of severalinsecticides, and flea collars, that do not say Sevin

*All pesticides in this book with capital first lettersare registered names.

-13-

on the labels. O,O-diethyl 0-(2-isoprophy-6-mcthyl-4-pyrimidinyl) phosphoro-thioate is Diazinon.

read ingredients can easily wastethan one of the ",'ell-krlO\Vll

contain, 25.0% Diazinon, 54.4%derivative solvent, and 20.6% inert

notdo\vhomoney buying moreinsec t ieid c s ,,"hie haromatic petroleumingredients.

Those

Petroleum distillates, or xylenes, are often used ascarriers or solvents iIi insecticides. Since they alsohelp kill the insects, they must be listed \'vith theactive ingredients. They are very harmful to ferns.Avoid them. Some inexpensive scale insect sprays arealmost entirely petroleum distillates.

Thc-: inert ingredients, i11though a 11lystery, should notdamage staghorns. Both Kelthane and Halathion c:an bepurchased in solution with inert ingredients only, nopetroleum distillates, or xylenes.

Malathion, Sevin, Diazinon, and Orthene are availableas powders at feed stores, or landscaping nurseTies.Tn this form they m8Y be pJaced behind the moss beforemounting the fern.

1'1.'.1 lathion, DiazinoIl, Cygan, (Cygan isa root drench) Isotox, Kelthane,insecticidal soap, and Black Leaf 40staghorns.

also available asOrthene, Sevin,are all used on

3. Specific Insect Prob1ems-

Of the larger insec ts, sO\.Jbugs and scales are problemson staghorns. Black Leaf 40 controls scales. Mostother insecticides must be used at such ('oncentratiollsto kill scales that they damage the ferns. Sm.Jbugshide during the day, hut corne out at night and eatthe softest parts of the fern. Spray thoroughly anddrench the sphagnum to kill those in it. Scatteringgranules of Diazinon helps control sowbugs.

Of tlw tiny insects, thrips and mites aTe common onSL'If!,horns. A lOX handlens is almost a necessity to]ocate them. They C

Fig. 12Mealybug, more advancedinfection, on StapeZia.This stage is moreoften seen.

Fig. 11Right- Mealybug found ona CoZeus. In the earlystages of an infectionthe whole animal shows.

Left- Scale, shown aboutactual size, found on aPZatyceriwn.

Fig. 13A young P. ridZeyi,looking very well, butdoomed to die. Evenwith this large, whiteflea collar in place,the tip of the bud waseaten, probably by asowbug. It took overtwo months for theplant to completelyfade away.

-15-

fronds, or on the bud.Overwatering increasesproblems with theseinsects. Picking upthe fern to inspect itmay alert them. Thenthey hide. Drenchingthe sphagnum withMalathion, Sevin, orDiazinon kills them.Kelthane controlsmites. If a staghornis not doing as wellas it should, thesetiny insects are oftenthe reason. Submersingplants one after theother in a containerof water may spreadthem.

Fig. 14Snow scale on the shieldfrond of P. ellisii. Itis a pest in southernstates where plants arekept in open locations.

Snow scale shows as small white tufts. It can becontrolled using Blackleaf 40, followed by Diazinon,then Malathion, with only two days between sprayings.The white tufts remain, but inspection will show theinsects are dead.

With areceivedneeded toeggs that

B. Fungi-

serious insect outbreak, or when plants areheavily infested, repeated sprayings are

kill both the adults and the young from thewill hatch later.

Control of fungi is the most consistent difference theauthor found between those who are successful with thedifficult species and those who are not. One hobbyistrelated, "I don't keep P. quadridichotomwn or P.madagascariense anymore, I have killed too many of them,11and later said, "My place is the Fungus Capital of theWorld."

-16-

1. Preventing fungus probl!2!Tls-

Assume that any plant just rc'ce1vcd from across thecountry, across the ocean, or as a freshly cut pup, hassustained enough damage that fungus can start in it.Treat it with a spray or soaking of fungicide. Thenwatch it daily for any of the problems described in 3helow. Once 8 plant is established, oven1atering is thesingle most common calise of Cungus probl!21T1s.

Rut even if fungus does not seem to be a problem,regular fungie ide treatment s, rotating among scvl:raltypes, are important since fungicides as a group tend toonly control the growth of fWlgi rather than kill them.

2. Buying fungicides-

Unfortunately fungicides have many names. The commonname is what the active ingredient is called on thelabel, the trade name is a regist!2red name for thatingredi!2nt, and the product name is what the companydecides to call its product. Sometimes the names ar!2similar, hut often they ar!2 very different. Here th!2common name 1;.]i11 be used, but the first time it is used,trade names \1ill 1)12 given immediately after it. Productnames will be given only for f.ungicides that ITlay behard for the hobbyist to locate. Reading the activeingredients is essential when buying fungicid!2s.

The 1;,later molds in the genera Pzdh-L-um and rhutonhL,hm'Clv I~ L

are r!2sponsible for many of the fungus problems onP(jtyeCI'1~1).Jr,;. Ethazo 1 (Truban) and etha:wl plusthiophanate methyl (I3,'mrot) are recommended for them.Metalaxyl (Subdue 2E), is a relatively n!2W systemicfungicide particularly good against water molds. It iscurrently available only in expensive agriculturalquantities.

Of the commonly avai.lab1e fungicides, the author andothers have used Benomyl (Benlate); chlorothalonil(Daeonil 2787), captan) folpet (Phaltan) , and man!2b(Diathane M-22 Special) without problems.

Zinc ion plus maneb complex is more conli1lonly known bythe trade names Diathane M-45 and Nanzate 200. It isoften recommended, but not easy for the hobbyist toobtain.

-17-

~lany other fungicides are availahle, hm.Jever they areoften for treatment of specific fungi on specificplants. Little is known about how effective they areon the fungi of staghorns. Also, fungus problems tendto be different in different localities, so if thereare persistent fungi, it is best to both experiment\.\'1 tll other fungicJdcs, and give s'amplcs of the fungustll the state agencies that can help.

3. Recognizing and treating fungus problems-

This is practically an art. However, fungus problemscan be divided into leaf fungus and rots.

a. Leaf fungus-J"caf fungus is a proble.m in localities with hot, humid,and ,vel summers. It mainly damages fertile fronds.The advancing edge of the fungus is often yellowjsh, butthe main fungus is brown or black. Benomyl controls manytypes of leaf fungus. What it does not control,chlorothalonil generally does. Air circulation is alsoan enemy of leaf fungus. Putting plants in front of afan for a couple of days will dry fungus.b. Rols-

Rots are a very different problem. They are mostCOTIlmon on shield fronds.* The tissue turns bro\.ffi orblack and often has a semi-transparent look before itdies and dries up. Normal frond dying, described in (3)belmv, can look the same, hut advances slowly. Hhennot certain if the dying is moving fast enough to berot, put a mark 6n the frond at the edge of the green.If the next dny the dying edge has moved two mm (1/8inch) or more into wha t l.Jas green the day befo re, it isrot. The rot situation is an emergency. Fast and drasticaction is required. Control of rot is difficult becausethere are at least two types.

(1). Fungus rot-There is no way to tell fungus rot from bacterialrot except by its response to fungicides. Try ageneral fungicide, benomyl, ethazol, chlorothalonil,or captan, and do all possible to get the fungicide

*Rots may also start onthey show at the bud its taghorn. They providefungicides even thoughto avoid overwatering.

the rhizome, but by the timeis usually too late to save the

another reason to treat withfungus may not be visible, and

-18-

into the very area where the rot is advancing.spreader-sticker, and even poke little pinholesthe tissue that is no longer green, but not yetso the fungicide will reach the cells inside.

Useintodry,

(2). Bacterial rot-If fungicide does not stop the advance of the rot,then assume it is caused by bacteria. Antibioticsare available in soluhle forms from feed stores.Terramycin is broad spectrum and inexpensive. Whenused at one teaspoon per gallon, with spreader-stickerit gives good results. Make a few pinhol.es, as forfungus rot. Other antibiotics are readily available.

However, if the rot still advances quickly afterbeing treated with both fungicide and antibiotic,it must be triinmed out. Use a razor blade and make onelong sweeping cut through good green frond ahead of

----'"

Fig. 15Rot, in the shield frond of P. elephantotis, advancingtoward the bud.

-19-

the rot and throw all the rotted area away. The cutgreen edge should be treated with fungicide andallowed to dry quickly.

(3). Normal frond dying-

In the late summer and through the fall severalspecies of Platycerium normally allow their shieldfronds to die and turn brown. P. stemaria truly killsits shield fronds and P. elephantotis may look aterrible mess.

This dying starts next to the bud and moves out,sometimes along the veins. Fungus rots and bacterialrots usually start at the edge of the shield and moverapidly toward the bud, or spread from a point ofinjury.When uncertain, it does no harm to treat normal fronddying as though it were rot. It does not respond, andmoves on slowly.

Fig. 16Normal shield frond dying in P. alcicorne,starting at the bud and advancing towardthe edge. The light part of the shieldis waxy and yellow green. The dark partis brown.

-20-

IV. The staghorn needs fertilizer

Plants need nutrients. Watering washes nutrients away, whichmust be replaced. A standard fertiJ.izer is Peter's 20-20-20,half strength during the spring, summer, and fall, andquarter strength in the winter. Too much fertilizer makesthe fertile fronds very dark green, thick, tender and maycause the wide frond cultivars of P. hillii to show cracks ortears. Spraying the 20-20-20 along with the pesticides, asdescribed below, gives the fronds nutrients. Pour somefertilizer solution through the sphagnum moss also.

Lack of iron (or too much sun) will cause yellowing of thefertile fronds. Chelated iron solutions are available. Fewgrowers concern themselves with trace elements. There seemsto be enough impurities in fertilizers to take care of thetrace elements. However, Jerry Horne, a Niami nurseryman whosuccessfully grows all Platyceriu~ species, recommends theuse of trace element compounds, according to labeldirections.

V. Staghorns need water

A. Water quality

1. Hardness:The harder the water the more deposits it will leave on mossand shields. These deposits also form on the roots andinterfere with their function. Lowering the pH, describedbelow, is a method of making hard water usable because atpH 5.5 to 6.0, little hardness is retained by the roots ormoss ..",

2. pH:Checking the pH of water tells how acid or alkaline it is.The lower the pH, the more acid it is, the higher the pH themore alkaline it is. At pH 7.0 it is neutral. The scale is

logarit~nic, meaning 5.0 is ten times as acid as 6.0, 4.0 tentimes as acid as s.D, so 4.0 is 100 tines as acid as 6.0.

*The author's shallow well gives very hard water, 66 grains,So the only prac tical 'I;

It is measured with papers that change color. Sinceslightly acid, 6.5, is considered ideal for watering andmixing sprays, a pH paper which reads between 4.5 and 7.5is ideal. This paper is usually available in rolls at drugstores. Biological supply companies carry many pH papers.

Lowering pH can be done with vinegar, acetic acid, orphosphodc aela. Acids sold toJith plumbing suppLLes may 1)eused, but they tend to be highly concentrated, dangerouschemicals. l

C. Water temperature

Water from pipes located in exposed places can giveroots quite a chill in the winter, and a scalding insummer. This can be a mysterious cause of problems?l(l t:yce Yl-i-1un.

VII. The staghorn must have the proper environment-

A. Light

thethe

,::L th

When in low light many staghorns produce long dark greenfertile fronds, referred to as 'soft growth.' Their weightalone may cause them to hang down, but when given morelight the same plants grow their fronds shorter, stifferand upright. Suggestions for the different species arein Chapter 4.

The shape and surface of the fertile frond can he clues tothe plant's light requirements. A covering of OBlrsprotects the surface [rom intense light, and helps reducewater loss. It is the cause of the grey-green leaves ofmany desert plants. PZatycer~1~ with this covering requirehigher light conditions than those that are nearly n::lkedand dark green. Karrow leaves allow nweh of the availablelight to pass by them, and they lose thei,r excess heatfaster because they have a greater surface-to-volume ratiothan wide leaves. So, when two staghorns are received,one with narrow fuzzy fertile fronds, and the other withwide dark green fertile fronds, the first should be given abrighter location than the other.

A shiny, waxy coating on the fertile fronds is anotheradaptation ,vhich prevents ,vater loss under high Light.PlatuC:i?.1'iwr! alciccrn.B and P. eZliE!:>~ both have it. Because

"

of its narrower fertile fronds, P. alcicorne should be ableto take higher light than P. ellisii, which seems to be thecase. In Niami, P. aZcicexI'r2e does "'Tell in full sun, butP. elZisii requires some shading.

,"In this book,ASA 25 speedmeans 1/25 at

high .Light level means takingfilm, at 1/50 and f 5.6, and.f 4.0 \vith the same film.

-23-

a photo "~,I th101,; light level

Fig. 17

P. alcicome thriving in full sun in a yard inMiami. The central support is a treefern pole.The hat is for size.

-24-

Fig. 18

P. veitchii cv. Lemoineigrown under low lightconditions. The fertilefronds are long and onlythe young smaller onescan support their ownweight in an uprightposition. There are nospore patches.

Fig. 19

P. veitchii cv. Lemoineigrown under high lightconditions. The fertilefronds are shorter andupright. There are manyspore patches. Not onlyis it the same cultivaras above, it is the sameplant, 18 months later.

-25-

Light level has profound effects on spore production. Asall example, my greenhouse has two main light sources, theroof, which slopes slightly to the north, and the southwall. In the summer much light comes through the roof,little through the south wall. In the winter, much lightcomes through the south wall, little through the roof.Staghorns hanging near the roof produce fertile fronds withspore patches in the surrnner but \.lithout spore patches i,nthe winter. Staghorns hanging next to the south window formspore patches in the winter, none in the summer. Ifstaghorns do not form spore patches, increasing the lightmay start them.

B. Temperature

Most staghorns do not do well with long periods over 35degrees C (95 0 F). Most growers do not keep plants nearthei.r minimum temperature. The practice is to play it safe,particularly with growers just starting with staghorns.Most who have kept staghorns for years are l.ess afraidof short periods of low temperatures. Jerry Horne says allPZ(JtyeeY'iurn species can take down to 4.4 degrees C (!~Oo F).The lowest temperature staghorns can take is very dependenton the amount of moisture in the plants and the air. It isnot knm'lIl if cool temperature during dormancy is benef icial.

C. Air circulation

Staghorns generally benefitWith difficult species, airdifference between success and

D. Humidity

from good aircirculation

failure.

circulation.could be the

The general rule is over 50%. If thismisting staghorns helps them greatly.fertilizer to misting solutions.

is nott-'lany

possible,gro~,;rers add

VIII. Chemicals must be applied to staghorns properly-

A. Nixing

Sprays should be used as soon as mixed. Mix only what isneeded, or use the extra on some outdoor plants.

-26-

error in a large batch of spray does notconcentration much but a small measurement

mixing only a half gallon of spray can burnMeasure very carefully.

A measuringchange theerror whenstaghorns.

New sprays are best first tried on test plants. A youngP. stemaria is a good choice. Better lose it than an entirecollection of Platyeerium.

amounts for everylabel each mixingerror so greatly

will be made whichHang a chart withwhere it will not

the amount to use

It is impossible to remember the mixingspray. Calculating the amounts from thetime increases the chance of making anthat it is nearly certain eventually onewill do great damage to the collection.the names of the sprays used, someplacebe damaged, and write next to each namewhen mixing.

It is also impossible to remember which sprayswhat dates for a whole year. It is importantcalendar record of spray applications.

were used onto keep a

B. AdditivesSpreader-sticker is to help the spray stay on the fronds.One teaspoon per gallon (5 mL per 3.785 L) of Physal 20,a commercial sanitizer, is recommended because it not onlyacts as a spreader-sticker, it helps control algae andfungi. A few drops of mild liquid dishwashing detergentwill work but is not as good.

Five drops per gallon of Superthrive helps root growth,which gives sturdier plants. Superthrive is also usedfor soaking newly received staghorns if they arrive in poorcondition.

C. Combinations

It saves time to mix insecticide, fungicide, food,Superthrive, and spreader-sticker as one solution andspray it as a single spray, about every 10 days or 2 weeks.Jerry Horne has done this for years; some others adviseagainst it. Truban fungicide should not be mixed withinsecticides.

-27-

This chapter has dealt with a great number of topics, each apart of cultivating PZatyceriu~. They may seem complex, buttheir application becomes routine. The larger the Platyceriumcollection, or the more species it contains, the moreimportant it becomes to keep track of the variables discussedhere, and apply the methods for keeping them under control.

All the items in this chapter can be combined into onecomment: use good horticultural techniques. Become lax andthe plants suffer. All species of PZatyceriu~ can be grown bythe person willing to use good horticultural techniques.

For additional reading-

Chase, R. A., Diagnosis of Foliage Plant Diseases, Universityof Florida, IFAS Agricultural Research Center-Apopka ARC-AResearch Report RH-82-8 1982. An article from a talk, hasfour tables, two of s)~ptoms, two which compare fungicidesused as sprays and soil drenches. Loaned to this author,difficult to locate.

Franks, Wendy, PlatyceriuID Fern Facts, Los Angeles, California1975. An informative book~ published by its author.

Hoshizaki, Barbara Joe, Fern Growers Manual, Alfred A. Kampf,New York, 1975. The standard classic.

Hughes, Ralph H., Cold Hardiness Zones for Staghorn Ferns inFlorida. Rhizome Reporter, 1982, 9(1) :6-8 An interestingand careful study of Platycerium grown outside in 4 zones,commented on by Chris Goudey, Rhizome Reporter, 1982, 9(3):17-20.

Mickel, John, and Fiore, Evelyn, The Horne Gardner's Book ofFerns, Holt Reinhart and Winston, 1979

Simone, Gary W., Fungicides for Use on Ornamentals 1983-1984,Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Circular 484-A,University of Florida, Gainsville, 1983. Contains chartsof plants, their fungus diseases, and what fungicides touse. The only fern is Leatherleaf Fern. In the back areaddresses of chemical manufacturers.

-28-

Fig. 20

A young P..hoZi;i;urnil:~ ravaged by rot 'i:Jhich started inminor shipping damage, before the author learned ofusing antibiotics against rots.

Fig. 21

Part of the shield frondof }?~ ...?Ze-::r~(;-;~tclt~~,,~-!y eclter1by a sOIv'bug.

\.

iI~ /"\.;j.

i '\ I ! I1J ! oj)J

\\

. "

~, ;;:

"",',", 'r', \.I~::: ~ ~\~\~~\ '!~;\\\\ \"\ .. \, \ \..

." \ ...\. \, \',,:,\,.. \ \\\., ",\ : ",:'\. \ \,\) \, \\, II ., \. I

J v"

';".-.-".

\\1

\ '1f,,"~}'Y~~;;C\\~:.: ".

- ~

\I

/\j

P andinum

-30-

CHAPTER THREE: Propagation

Flatyc:eY'~i:~!)Ti are propagated in three ways; tissue cuI ture:,pups, and spore culture.

A. Tissue Culture-

nucleus of each living cellof the genes necessary togene'sets of one plant are

conditions, any of a plaut'sgrow into a \-.1hole plant. The

genetically identical to the

Tissue culture works because theof the plant has a complete setform the whole plant. All theidentical, so, under the properliving cells should be able toresulting plants should bestarting plant.

Laboratory culture of plants from single cells began in theearly 1960's. Now the laboratories are major suppliers ofplants for the nursery trade. However, starting with only onecell is not necessary. Typically a group of cells called anexplant is removed from the parent plant and surfacesterilized. Imen placed on the proper medium it can be grm,;rninto a lump of cells called a callus. The callus can bemaintained inclefinately or can be caused to grmv buds \.,Thichare cut from it. These are grown in the lab, then transferredto soil. The total process does not take less time than otherpropagation methods, but once the callus is formed, largequantities of identical plants can be produced 111 a smalllaboratory.

Since PZat:H':C1"iv:Ir: are a very minor part of tbe nursery trade,only a fe\v labs, mostly in Californin, tissue cuI ture them.Platyceriwn bifurcatum cv. Netherlands, P. veitchii cv.Lemoinei, (-' . .7rIZ--i cv. Pumila, c:md F. Buper2:;'wn are the mainsubjects of current tissue culture efforts.

It was discovered pup-forming PlatyceriiATr! can be tissuecultured very simply. Futting plantlets from test tubes intoa chopping blender for fi.ve seconds resulted in many pieceswhich themselves ';vould gro\V into ne\,;r plants. This cut thelabor cost for producing PZrrtyccY'z:wn greatly. NOIv one largelaboratory could cover the eartb with Platyceri&~m.

-31-

Fig. 22

A bench of tissuecultured P. hilliicv. Pumila growingpotted until puton plaques.Porter's Tropicals

However, some dealers and hobbyists take a dim view of tissueculturing Platycerium. They contend that tissue culturedplants are so conditioned to the sterile laboratory that theydo not last long outside it, and that the chemical controltheir genes have been through tends to make them growabnormally later. They also feel that many who bought theinexpensive tissue cultured Platycerium had bad experienceswith them, which resulted in a general decrease of interestin staghorns. But those who sell tissue cultured Platyceriumclaim they grow normally, that they have the same genes fordisease resistance as those not grown in the lab, and thatproducing them any other way is so labor intensive theirprice would be more than the hobbyist would pay, meaningthey could not carry Platycerium at all.

-32-

The result is, thehave tissue culturedmore casual, backyardand sporelings. Theculturing Piatyceriu~

B. Pups-

large competitive production nurseriesDl' . . f

"'- aDycer-z,.um l' any, and the smaller,specialty nurseries have pups, imports,final word on the value of tissueis not in yet.

Of the pup-forming species, all but F. COl"OYI0T'Lumfrom the tips of roots which reach the surface.show as tinv buds.

form pupsPups first

Removing pups~The most common mistake is removing the pup when too small.The pup should have shields at least 1/4 the size of theparentIs before removal. Use a sharp knife, cut hack intothe moss and take out the pup with a good start of roots. Putsome Ile\~' moss in the hole, so the next set of shields fromthe parent plant can cover it.

It is almost always necessary to cut the shield of the parentplant when removing a pup. There are less chances forinfect ions if the shields are brmV1l and uead. If greenshields must be cut, spray fungicide on the cut edge, andlet it dry quickly.

The pup is usually at home on its ow"I1 plaque, but if thereare severa] very small pups, mounting allan the same plaquemakes it easier to control moisture in their moss. Atreatment with Superthrive or Vitamin Bl helps their rootsform.

Saving every pup is not practical. Some buds may have to beremoved so others can develop normnlly.

Of the common species that form pups easily from their roots,the author finds t has e of F'. e Zephantotis the ha rc1es t toremove successfully. It is particularly important for thepups of this species to become fairly mature before beingremoved.

Increasing pup formation-Al though it defaces the plant some, gro'",ers ,V"ho ,-'!ant toencourage pup formation will take a screwdriver and poke holesthrough the shields all the way to the plaque to providepath'~'ays ror the roots to grm,'! to the surface and ronr, pups.It works.

-33-

Fig. 23 (above)

The hole left when a pup was removedfrom P. andinum is filled with moss,held in place by wires.

Fig. 24 (left)

The same P. andinum the next spring.The shields have died and pups areforming along their edge.

-34-

The amount of moss available has an effect on pup formation.On a plaque with extra moss, pups can form around the edge.In a basket only 6 to 8 cm.(2 to 3 inches) wide, pups tend tocome quickly out the back.

C. spore culture

It is usually five to ten years from the day Platyceriumspores are put down to the day spores are collected from thenew plants. Although this is a long time, spore culturewidens the hobbyist's understanding and appreciation for theseferns. It is an interesting process.

Some species can only be grown from spore. Having spore-grownP. grande~ P. holttumii) P. wallichii J or P. ridleyi can maketrading very easy. Plus the truly exotic new cultivars willno doubt only come by selecting for specific traits amongsporelings over several generations.

There is not a single best spore culture method for everyone.However, in every culture the plants must go through the samestages, and the grower must provide the environment where theycan.

Fig. 25

The spore room of Porter's Tropicals, showing manyflats with glass covers.

-35-

I. Environment:

A. LightSunlight is often used, with protection from overheating.Regular fluorescent tubes are used by many. Although lesslight is used very successfully, most directions indicateat least 100 foot candles (two 48 inch fluorescent tubesat 12 inches). No dark period is needed by the plants.

B. Growing mediumSince ?!'~atyceY"Li/'Jnwill volun teer on the sides oftrees,rocks., and flower pots, the ferns themselves must not betoo particular. Most growers use equal parts of milledpeat moss and perlite, or milled sphagnum and perlite.Many use Jiffy-7 peat pellets. Others use peat moss withleafmold and sand, or loose potting mix and charcoal, orKitty Litter, or perlite alone. Mr. Cass used a boiledred brick.

C. HumidityThe rule is~ as high as possible for spore germination.This TIleans some sort of moist chamber, like a flat with aglass plate over it, a deep covered petri dish, a plasticglass inside a plastic bag, a plastic shoe box, or otherset-up.

D. TemperatureThe temperature range for mature plants works for sporeculture; however~ less fluctuation is safer.

E. Sterilization\--.7ithout sterilization of the medium, the author has alwayshad fungus growth. Some growers sterilize with pressurecooker, 20 Ibs at 20 minutes, or with dry heat in an oven,150 degrees C. (300 degrees F.) for 20 minutes. Microwavescan be used. Surfaces are sterilized with 10% Clorox andwashed with boiled water. Peat tends to not support fungusgrowth and may not need sterilization. As a general rule,sterilization is best.

II. Stages:

A. Getting sporesPZatl;.'c:c.t'iwn form spores inside sporangia, on large sporepatches. Hhen mature the sporangia push their way throll.gha layer of stellate hairs and turn brown, except inP. ~aZZic:hii where they stay green. The final stage isldhen the sporangium becomes mature and dry enough to popopen, throwing the spores into the air.

-36-

Fig. 26

Microscope view ofthe sporangium ofP. wallichii> notyet open.

Fig. 27

Microscope view ofthe green sporesof P. wallichii.

All the sporangia in a sporepatch will be at about thesame stage, but it takes lOXto 20X magnification to besure what stage. If thesporangia are mature, thespore may be caught by:removing part of the frondand letting it dry in anenvelope, by laying thefertile frond spore patchdown on a piece of whitepaper where the spores willshow as brown dust, or byscraping the whole sporepatch off.

No matter how it is done,there will be a mixture ofspores, pieces of sporangia,and possibly stellate hairs.The spores may be separatedby moving the whole massaround carefully on a pieceof paper, or by strainingthem through #20 planktonmesh or nylon stockingmaterial. Sowing bothsporangia and spores works;the stellate hairs are bestremoved. Spores can besterilized with 10% Cloroxsolution in a jar, separatedfrom the Clorox solution ona coffee filter and washedwith boiled distilled water.After drying they are readyto sow.

-37-

B. Sowing sporesOften spores are put down too densely. One methodthe dry spores in a small jar, stretch nylonmaterial over the mouth, and shake the sporesmedium.

is to putpantyhoseonto the

The green spore of P. wallichii should be sown as soon aspossible after collection since green spores do not livelong. Most people sow spore in the fall, the season mostare available. Label every culture with name and date.

C. Green matOne short green filament is formed from each spore. Thisforms a green mat. Some growers transplant sections of thegreen mat which causes it to spread more. Usually thegreen mat forms quickly. In some cases it is not adistinct stage.

D. Prothallium or gametophyteFrom each green filament a flat, green, heart-shaped, 1cm(1/4 inch) tall, prothallium, or gametophyte may grow. Ithas half the gene number of the plant the spores weretaken from and its function is sexual reproduction.

The sperm of ferns must swim to the egg, which meanslittle droplets of water must be present.

Fig. 28

A mat of prothallia orgametophytes from sporeof P. ellisii~ growing ina glass dish. A plasticcover was removed for thephoto. This grower sprayedinsecticide onto the lowersurface of the plasticcover, only when insectswere seen. These were sownso thickly some should betransplanted.

-38-

Most growers transplant the prothallia, finding they growfaster with space between them, and that more green matwill develop where they were taken out. Usually prothalliashow from three weeks to three months after the spores aresown.

E. SporophyteThe young staghorn is called the sporophyte. It developsfrom the fertilized egg in the prothallium which thendies. All this is a gradual process. The first sporophytefronds may look nothing like the mature ones. Mostgrowers transplant the young sporophytes as soon as theyappear among the prothallia. As sporophytes are removedmore form. A crop of prothallia may produce sporophytes2 or 3 years. The young sporophytes, while still in themoist chamber, may pup very freely. P. ellisii even formspups from the edges of its sheld fronds.

Fig. 29

Left, a moist chamber formed by a deep petri dish. Insideis a Jiffy-7 peat pellet. Right, the peat pellet has beenremoved and set in the top of the dish. The staghorn,P. quadridichotomum~ has formed pups through the sides ofthe peat pellet.

-39-

F. HardeningAs the sporophyte develops it must be gradually hardenedto conditions outside the moist chamber. This is the mostdifficult period in spore culture and there is no magicformula for doing it successfully. It takes weeks, notjust hours or days. The protective covering of the moistchamber is gradually taken away. Very young Platyceriumare often transferred to pots until large enough for theirmounting.

III Problems:

A. Algae and fungus growthBeginning sterilization of the medium should eliminatethese. Peat mixtures and peat pellets are relatively freeof algae and fungi. Excess light promotes algae growth,darkness favors fungus. For control, Banrot, or otherfungicides may be misted, or the plants may be moved awayfrom a large mass of fungi.

B. InsectsFungus gnats are considered the worst insect pest. Theyare tiny and look something like flies. Their larva stageis worm-like and can destroy the prothallia. Diazinon,free of petroleum distillates, can be used on theprothallia to kill these insects.

Fig. 30

Looking down onto aflat of sporelingsof P. ridleyi, atPorter's Tropicals.

-40-

C. Growth problemsMost common of these is remaining in the prothalliumstage too long. The record seems to be six years. Thismay be due to the sperm not being able to swim to theegg because there is not the water they need. Mistingshould solve this. One grower considers vitamin B1important to the change from pro thallium to sporophyteand mists with a concentration of one SOmg tablet in alitre (quart) of water.

Spore culture has been described here in detail, and mayseem complex. However, the most demanding part is making thebeginnng set-up. A simplified method would be: put a Jiffy-7peat pellet in a jar, pour boiling water over it. Then washthe spore with 10% Clorox, rinse them with boiled water, putthem on the pellet, seal the jar in a plastic bag with alabel. Leave it in a light place and watch it go through thestages until little plants that look like staghorns are welldeveloped. If no heart-shaped prothallia show in 3 months,start another culture, but don't throw the other one out fora year. No matter how it is done, there is a type of pride ina plant raised from a spore, a beginning that is onlyone cell.

-41-

for additional reading

Cooke, Ron C., 1979,Culture PropagationVol. 14(1) 21-22

Gmoser, Jerry, 1979, Aseptic. Spore Culture, LAIFS Journal,\'01. 6(4&5) 101-108, 135-142. T"TO part article on a veryproductive method for growing PZatycerit~.

Hoshi7.aki, Barbara Joe, 1979, Fern Growers Manuel, Alfred A.Knopf, NY. Pages 72 and 73 give instructions on how to crossferns, using the gametophyte stage.

Articles on topics in thi,s chapter appear regularly. The LAIrSBookstore has many short papers.

-42-

------------------- _.-.-

------

,

Tntroductton:

The spectes a [ the genus PZatycer'iu]T! are treated here tnalphabetical order. Their natural groupings are shown onpage 1. Changes in the taxonomy of P. L-n:fuY'catum proposed byHennipman and Roos, although they may best show the situationin nature, are not used here because the author feels they aretoo complex to become common in the hobby or the trade.However, they are noted with the species affected.

Maximum and minimum temperatures the different species cantake \",il1 vary greatly due to the amount of moisture in theplant, the amount of moisture in the air, and how actively theplant is growing. Hith the rare and expensive species, neitherhobbyists nor dealers are willing to subject their plants tounusual temperatures just to find their maximum and minimumtemperatures. Also, the temperature ranges in the naturalhabitats are not kno\VTI for all species. For these reasons,in this chapter temperatures are given only by how one speciescompares \.]i th another, ra ther than as specific numbers.

Other authors have listed small islands in the distributionsof Platyc(n~iwn. It is nearly impossible to verify thatPZatyceriurn are on small islands, or how they got there.Marcel Lecoufle checked "documents and vegetations" andconcluded the Flatyceriwn on La Reunion and Mauritius wereintroduced by early navigators. This author has tried forthree years l \,rithout success, to obtain Pla-tycer":wn from theSeychelles to verify that they are P. alcicorne. It seemedbest to include here only the major area of distribution foreach species.

Although different species of PlatyceYl~iwn require differenttreatments, there are no real "secrets ll to growing the exoticspecies. The best advice was given at the end of Chapter 2:"use good horticultural techniques."

-44-

Platycerium alcicorne

(al-ci-corn-e)

The correct species name for P. alcicorne has been thesubject of disagreement between C. V. Morton and G. J.De Joncheere. Morton has passed away, and De Joncheere'sposition has been adopted by E. Hennipman and M. C. Roos.There seems to be no botanist convinced that the nameP. vassei~ as Morton contended, should be used in place ofthe name P. alcicorne.

The plants in the U. S. trade fall into two groups. The morecommon are those from Africa, the less common those fromMadagascar. The African plants have a very characteristicyellow-green color, and are waxy with nearly no hairs. Theirshield fronds turn rich brown when they die. They have beenpictured on pages 20 and 24.

The Madagascar plants tend to be dark green, with many hairs.Some individuals have fertile fronds that are dark green ontop, and on the underside nearly white with hairs. Theirshields become nearly black when dead. The Madagascar plantscharacteristically develop folds in the upper half of theshields, if given enough light.

Fig. 31

Folds in the upper half of theshield fronds of P. alcicornefrom Madagascar.

-45-

Fig. 32

P. ,alcicorne.,Africa form ina basket. Eachfertile frondshows two orthree divisionsand often showsfolding at thecenter of thefirst division.

The Madagascar plants also divide into a form with widefertile fronds and a form with narrow fertile fronds. Theyoungest fertile fronds of both tend to be wide. The amountof light affects their width somewhat, but extremely narrowones tend to also have more pronounced veins on theirshields. The author has traced virtually all the narrow formsto importations from Marcel Lecoufle (See page 157).

Much of the Africa and Madagascar range of this species isnearly out of the tropics, which must be responsible for itsvery seasonal growth. Shields die in late summer, and aredark brown through the fall and winter. Much of the winterit is dormant. Water and fertilizer should be decreasedduring these months.

The Africa plants are somethat less tolerant of excess waterthan the Madagascar plants. The Africa plants also pup morefreely, but either eventually forms a cluster. Both types areslightly more sensitive to cold than P. bifurcatum.Marcel Lecoufle's description and discussion of thisin about 1965 leads this author to conclude that theform was not in cultivation in Europe at that time.

speciesAfrican

This species offers no unusual problems in cultivation, andis both pretty and interesting.

-46-

Fig. 33 Fig. 34

Wide form of P. alcicornefrom Madagascar, viewedfrom above.

Narrow form of P. alcicornefrom Madagascar. The sporepatches show as well asfolds on the upper part ofthe shields.

Fig. 35

Remarkable simllarity of the youngfronds of P. alcicoY'ne. Left isthe Africa plant from Fig. 32,right, a Madagascar plant.

-47-

Fig. 36

The distribution of P. alcicorne in Africa and Madagascar.

Fig. 37

Small developing shield ofthe Madagascar P. alcicorne~showing an extremely highnumber of black hairs.

-48-

PZatycerium andinum(an-DE-num) Named for the Andes Mountains

Common Name- American Staghorn

Fig. 38

PZatycerium andinum~ with pups.

PZatycerium andinum is adecidedly tall and slenderplant. In nature it issaid the fertile frondsbecome more than 2 meters(6 feet) long, but incultivation they tend tobe shorter. The shieldfronds have a rather even,medium dense coating ofhairs on both sides, butthe fertile fronds arecoated heavily with hairson the back side andlightly on the top. Thebud is obvious, and haslong, light green hairsaround it.

This species forms pups,but not freely, and it isnot a rapid grower. Alsoit tends to form shieldfronds in the early summerand fertile fronds laterin the season. The tipsof the fertile fronds maycontinue to grow evenafter the spore patch hasformed.

Among hobbyists P. andinum has a reputation as a strangeplant to grow. The author has seen groups all purchased atthe same time, when the same size, but with some growingvery well and others not. One Miami nursery cultivated manyfrom pups and considered it an easy species. Many feel it

-49-

Fig. 39

P. andinum bud area,the two large objectsin the bottom half ofthe photo are fertilefronds, above the budis the frilled edgeof a shield frond.

cannot take cool nights t however,Florida leaves P. andinum outsideconsiders this treatment a key tospecies. It may be P. andinum istemperatures than most Platycerium.

another nursery in southon cool windy nights andsuccessfully keeping themore sensitive to high

Jerry Horne recommended that those having difficulty with P.andinum should allow it to dry out more between waterings,particularly if it has a thick mass of shields. The author

Fig. 40

Two P. andinum~ the left tissue cultured, the right asporeling. Photographed at the same time, they did otherthings at the same time. They both grew right shieldfronds) then they both grew left shield fronds, then theyboth started fertile fronds, then they both died, of rhizomerot.

-50-

treats P. andinum much like P. eZephantotis giving it brightlight, a rather loose moss, evenly moist, but not wet. P.andinwn is particularly prone to rhizome rot when small. Itis easier to start with a large plant.

P. ancHnwit. is the only staghorn species found in theAmericas. Not much is known about its di~tribution exceptit lives on the eastern slope of the Andes, at elevati.onsaround 300 meters (1000 feet), in Peru and Bolivia. OnJ.y afew place names are in print. It has been imported fromIquitos, Peru, but those who imported it say Iquitos is onlythe shipping point for the fern, and many tropical fish, butnot the collecting point. Reports say it grows abundantly inisolated locations. In 1980 this author searched in Ecuador,from Limoncocha along the Rio Napa to Tena, for Platycc~iwnand found none.

Its closest relatives are the African P eZepnanto~is, andthe Madagascar P. quadY'1:d~:chotorrrUJn. Hennipman and Roo sconsider it to be closer to P. quadr'idichotomu/';'G becausethe spore patch location of the two is similar.

P. andinu~ must be considered a somewhat difficult species.

BRAZI L

Fig. 41 The distribution of P andinu"'n.

-51-

Platycerium bifurcatum(bi-fur-CA-tum)

Common name: Common Staghorn

This species name comes from the word bifurcate which meansto divide or fork. It describes the branching shape of thefertile fronds. P. bifurcatum has generally narrow fertilefronds, upright with the ends hanging down. The tips of theshields are divided into lobes which are often pointed andextend forward. The shields are usually tan to brown duringthe spring and summer. New green shields form during thelate summer and fall. Fertile fronds remain green and formmost of the year. Each fertile frond lives two to threeyears.

Fig. 42

Two P. bifurcatum~ collected in Australia about750 km (500 miles) apart. The rule on the back ismarked in inches.

-52-

Fig. 43

A natural variation ofthe shield fronds of aP. bifurcatum~ from thewild. This plant wasgrowing on a beefwoodtree, at the LamingtonNational Park, O'Reilly~Botanical Garden, 920m.(3,000 feet) elevation,Queensland, Australia.Photo by Ralph Hughes.

Chances are the first PZatycerium a hobbyist owns will be acultivar of this species. In my case it was a P. bifurcatumcv. Netherlands, spotted in K Mart. Being a very tolerantspecies, starting with it nearly assures success, even ifonly its minimum cultural requirements are met. The mostcommon causes of death while in the care of the beginninghobbyist are: overwatering while the hobbyist is home takingcare of the plant, or drying out to the point of root damagewhile the hobbyist is away on vacation. Since much of itsnatural range is outside the tropics, this species can take alight frost, and is often grown outdoors in southern Floridaand coastal southern California.

P. bifurcatum forms pups easily. Giant baskets or balls of itare sold by nurseries in localities where they can be keptoutside. Eventually more plants will form than the hobbyistcould possible need. The solution often is to keep only oneor two large individual specimens of each desirable cultivarand limit their pup formation by removing the new buds.

-53-

Fig. 44

Left: A basket of P. bifurcatum cv. Netherlands. The rhizome ofone has grown forward so far the plant could break loose.

Right: The plants in the basket were separated and put on plaques.Given time, this species will form more pups than thehobbyist could possibly need.

Fig. 45

Above, recently collectedP. bifurcatum. Right, sameplant one year later.

-54-

In these single mountings, as the rhizome elongates and theshields pile up, the bud will gradually move forward to1;.;rhere the entire plant is in danger of coming loose andfalling to the ground. To prevent this crash it will benecessary every few years to remove the plant, trim back theshield frond mass, and attach it again with the bud movedback closer to the mounting.

Importation of P. bifupcatu~ is rare since its cultivars arebetter adapted to conditions in cultivation. F. o1: juY'catv..mis an easy species, a good choice for starting a PZatycepiL~collection.

This species is called P. biFuY'catUJTibijuY'catvm by Hennipman and Roos.

i .. (.. Ispp. D&JuY'carwTi var.

2327' S

Fig. 46

The distribution of P. D'if'u.J"::.;atumin Australia, mostly below theTropic of Capricorn (broken line).

-55-

Platycerium coronarium

(cor-o-NAR-i-um)

Common name: Disk Staghorn

The species name meanscrown, describing theshape of the mature massof shields. Shield frondsof P. coronarium are lobedalong the top edge plusvery thick and corky whencompared to other speciesof staghorns. They may berather light green andwaxy.

The fertile fronds form along and twisted mass,with spore patches on theunderside of kidney-shapedlobes. These spore patcheshave been observed fallingout in one large mass. Thefunction of this is notknown, since it would seemsingle spores would bemore easily carried by thewind. The closest relativeto P. coronarium is P.ridleyi, the only otherstaghorn with a speciallobe for its spores.

Fig. 47

The tall lobed shield frondsof P. coronarium show wellon this cluster on the trunkof a palm tree. The sporelobes of the fertile frondsare larger than those oncultivated plants.

Photo by Jack Wood

P. coronarium is widely distributed through Vietnam, Burma,Thailand, Sumatera, Borneo and the Philippines. Franken andRoos reported in Sumatera it is very common in the lowerlevels of the swamp forests, where there may be little light.

-56-

Fig. 48

A ball of P. CCJ'cnOY'?.-u.ri?

The estimated range ofP. cCT'onoY'iw?1, ThailandVietnam, Bangka, Borne~Malay penins.ula, Burma,Philippines, Singapore,Riau Archipelago, .Java,from sea level to 500meters (1600 feet )elevation.

in a tree inThe [el~ti1e

of the youngestin the rightare shorter.

hangingMiami.frondsplants,side,

Fig. 49

ooo

This staghorn forms pupsdifferently from any otherspecies. The rhizome, backin the moss away from thebud, forms a branch whichgrows towards the sidewhere it comes to thesurface, becomes a bud andgrows into a pup. Thisbranching tends to be inthe same plane as theoriginal bud, making thebuds of the pups appear ina row, all about the samedistance above the ground.In nature this allows theplant to form a clusterwhich surrounds the treetrunk. In such clusters,the oldest plants have thelongest fertile fronds.

Fig. 50

Back of the shields of a newlyimported P. coronarium with adeveloping rhizome branch.The top parts of the shieldswere trimmed from the picture.

Some people plan ahead for this type of branching by mountingP. coronarium either in a ball, or locating it on a board sothe bud is below the bottom edge of the wood. Either wayprevents the rhizome branch from running into anything solid.

P. coronarium must be considered moderately difficult to growmainly because getting it truly established can be a problem.Many of those in the trade are imported from Thailand andmay have massive shield fronds, each over 1.5 em (1/2 inch)thick. These make it very easy to keep too much water in theplant, which invites rots and insects. Other difficultiesarise because the shields and fertile fronds are cut backgreatly before shipping to reduce weight. It is best to letthe importer establish the plant after such treatment.

In nature P. coronarium is nearly always ant-inhabited, whichmay mean it actually attracts insects. Natural light levelstend to be low, but occasional photographs show it in nearlyfull sun.

-58-

Fig. 51 A P. coronarium with extremely wide fertile fronds,and another with extremely narrow fertile fronds.

-59-

Once established, P. coronarium tends to be a tough plantthat will live for a long time. Even then it can be killed byoverwatering. It stands cool temperatures best when dry, andis not a cold-hardy species.

A dwarf P. coronarium is reported, but collectors are not inagreement about its traits. Some say it has fewer hairs,others say it has shorter fertile fronds. However, shorterfertile fronds are characteristics of young' plants.,

Fig. 52 At the left a white, immature spore patch ofP. coronarium. At the right a brown, mature sporelobe, which has released its entire mass of spores.

-60-

Fig. 53

A cluster of P. coronarium in a grove of palm trees. New plantshave formed by the rhizome branching to the side, which keepsthe new plants the same distance from the ground as the olderones, forming a ring of P. coronarium around the tree.

P. coronarium growing ona rubber tree. These twophotos, and Fig. 47, weretaken by Jack Wood alongthe road between Malaccaand Singapore, Malaysia.P. coronarium was theonly Platycerium specieshe found there. He alsonoted the P. coronariumgrowing where only littledebris could fall behindtheir shields, remainedsmall. Such small plantscould have caused reportsof a "dwarf" form of thisspecies.

-61-

Platycerium ellisii

(el-LEE-see-eye)

Platycerium ellisii is very closely related to the Africanform of P. alcicorne. They have the same yellow-green color,waxy coating, and they both tend to grow round shield frondsin the spring and early summer, and fertile fronds during thelate summer and fall. In the fall their shield fronds beginturning a very dark brown near the center. (Pg. 20) The colorchange moves gradually to the edge. The fertile fronds ofP. ellisii are different from the African P. alcicorne inconsistantly being wide and divided into only two points neartheir tips.

The range of P. ellisii is restricted to Madagascar, whereasP. alcicorne is from both Africa and Madagascar. The personwho introduced P. ellisii into the U.S. has collected themoff mangroves at sea level along the central east coast ofMadagascar. Many of the mangrove stems they g"rew on were only1.5 em. (Yz inch) thick, and the shield fronds often hadspaces 2.5 ern. (1 inch) wide behind them. The function of thespaces is unknown.

Fig. 55

Typical P. ellisii.

-62-

Fig. 56

Bud area of P. elZisiiwith the edges of someshields removed so thescales would show. Thenewest shield, comingfrom above, covers thebud, typical for thisspecies.

Fig. 57

Spore patch of P. ellisii.

-63-

The natural habitat and structure of this plant combine tomake it something of a mystery. Its range must be very warmand humid. The leaves of mangroves are large and could shadeP. elZisii greatly. The fertile fronds of P. elZisii arewide, and require some shading. They also have waxy coating,which should help them retain water, but the thin shields andthe large air spaces between them limit the whole plant'sability to store water. This combination gives a plant whichdoes not lose much water through its fertile fronds, but doesnot store water well in its shields.

This unusual plant requires some unusual care. The rhizomeof P. ellisii grows upward quickly. Its roots are veryshallow and nearly all just below the bud. When the newestshields do not fully cover the older ones, the plant hasadvanced to where it probably has few roots in the moss. Itshould be removed and trimmed so the bud is again in thecenter of the mounting. Moss should be packed around therhizome and into the spaces between the shields, which meanssome of the shields will have to be dug away. When packedwith moss, and kept in a moist, warm, and bright location,P. eZlisii pups freely in mid-summer. Lack of pup formationis an indication a trim is needed. Trims may be necessary asoften as once a year. Due to its shallow roots, the authormuch prefers plaques to baskets for this species.

Fig. 58

The shield frond massof P. ellisii~ cut toshow the air spacesbetween them. Shieldscover the top of themoss.

-64-

There are reported to be three forms of P. ellisii; thestandard form, one that grows little divisions at the tips ofthe fertile fronds and has been called "diversifolium," and awide leaf form which can have fertile. fronds 20 cm (8 inches)across, and 86 cm. (34 inches) long.

Although not as simple to grow as P. bifurcatum~ P. ellisiiis not difficult, and makes a unique and interesting additionto a Platycerium collection.

Fig. 59

P. ellisii form called"diversifolium" whichhas extra tips on itsfertile fronds.

Fig. 60

Distribution of P. elZisii on Madagascar.

-65-

Platycerium elephantotis

(elephan-TOE-tis)

Common Name: Angola Staghorn

The most striking feature ofthis species is its massivebright green group of shieldfronds, which grows so largeP. elephantotis is sometimescalled the lettuce staghorn.Its fertile fronds are long,very wide, hang down, andhave no notches or fingersalong the bottom edge. Theirlarge size has given itanother common name, theelephant's ear fern.

Growth of P. elephantotis isvery seasonal. Each springthe shields from the yearbefore die. The new shieldscan grow more erectly if thetops of the dead ones aretrimmed away. During thesummer it forms a new shieldfrond mass, and later itgrows fertile fronds.

Fig. 61

A young P. elephantotis~ aboutaverage shipping size. Thisplant is also pictured inFig. 62 b, and on page 19.

Its distribution is from coast to coast in central Africafrom 200 to 1500 meters (650 to 5000 feet) elevation. InUganda it is reported from 1500 meters elevation in themountains in large trees. In"East Africa Vegetation;' Lindand Morrison describe it as growing in the forest and alsocommon in trees in wooded grasslands, a drier environmentthan P. stemaria although their distributions are similar.

-66-

a. c.

Fig. 62

-67-

Seasonal Growth

a. In the spring the shields ofP. elephantotis die and wilt.

tops of the oldare removed, the ne~can grow upright.

When theshieldsshields

c. By early summer a new shielchas formed, and a second i~developing.

b.

b.

Fig. 63

P. eZephantotis in mid-summer, with a newshields, starting the formation of fertileThis basket planting is about 1 meter (39tall.

set offronds.inches)

Fig. 64

P. elephantotis fromUganda shows shortershields, and fertilefronds that are long.It is somewhat lessprone to rots.

-68-

Many hobbyists have difficulty with P. elephantotis. Thespecies naturally occurs in very bright tropical locations,with high temperatures, and dry periods. It can wilt greatlyand recover completely. If kept wet, and under low light,rot can soon destroy it. Cool temperatures can give itproblems also. However, in a bright, warm place, and withprotection from rots, it becomes gorgeous and pups freely.The moss need not be particularly loose.

The author finds removingpups from P. elephantotis isparticularly difficult. Itseems important to let thepups become large beforeremoval, and to fight rot inthe edges of the cut shieldswith terramycin.

At this time this species issold as P. angolense~ butthere is general agreementamong taxonomists the nameshould be P. elephantotis.Hennipman and Roos considerP. wallichii the closestrelative of P. elephantotis.Barbara Joe Hoshizaki listedit closer to P. stemaria.

P. elep