Family: Polypodiaceae
Plant: An epiphytic fern with pendulous fronds up to 1m long usually found on tree branches often overhanging streams.
Fronds: Infertile fronds are papery, broad, 12-30cm wide and form a cabbage like ‘nest’ to protect the rhizome. These are initially green but turn brown as they age. Fertile fronds are pendulous; much forked and divided, large, 25-90cm long with segments 2-3cm wide.
Sori: Covering most of lower part of fertile frond.
Rhizome: Much branched
Habitat: Growing in rainforest on trees and very rarely on rocks.
Features: Epiphytic fern growing on trees and rocks. Deeply lobed ‘nest’ of infertile fronds. Pendulous deeply-divided forked fertile fronds. New plantlets appear at the base of the plant.
Name:
Platycerium From Greek = broad, honeycomb (referring to the spongy base to the plant).
bifurcatum From Latin bi = two and furca = fork (referring to its 2-forked fronds).
|
Type |
Fern |
|
|
Trunk |
No trunk |
|
|
Fronds |
Form |
Simple |
|
|
Length (Total) |
Long |
|
|
Other Features |
- |
|
Sori |
Arrangement |
Covering surface |
|
Rhizome |
Type |
- |
|
|
Other Features |
- |
|
Habitat |
Rainforest |
|