Polypodiaceae - Botanical Family

Showy, tropical looking epiphyte that can be grown on a tree or in a large hanging basket. Long, pendulous, much bifurcated fertile fronds produce spores on special cup shaped appendages. Basal fronds form a crown shaped basket. It is able to grow high in the trees of the rainforest, often grows in large masses. Needs bright indirect light. New divisions should be misted daily to keep the humidity levels high. Once they are established, the ferns are fairly drought tolerant and should be watered at least twice a week during the growing season. During the winter rest period, water only enough to keep the fronds from wilting. Too much water in winter causes spotting of the fronds.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Platycerium bifurcatum has fertile leaves forked up to 5x (vs. forked to 7x), and sporangia on terminal tapering lobes (vs. on rounded or kidney-shaped lobes). P. coronarium and P. bifurcatum which look alike when young.

Platycerium elephantotis is one of the most heat-loving staghorn ferns.

It does not tolerate prolonged cold or damp conditions in cool temperatures.

In zones below 10, it is grown as a container plant with mandatory overwintering indoors or in a greenhouse.

Ferns in this genus are widely known as Staghorn or Elkhorn ferns due to their uniquely-shaped fronds. Platycerium sporophytes (adult plants) have tufted roots growing from a short rhizome that bears two types of fronds, basal and fertile fronds. Basal fronds are sterile, shield or kidney shaped and laminate against the tree and protect the fern's roots from damage and dessication. In some Platycerium species the top margin of these fronds forms an open crown of lobes and thereby catches falling forest litter and water. Fertile fronds bear spores on their undersurface, are dichotomous or antler shaped and jut out or hang from the rhizome.

The species is ideal for cultivation indoors and outdoors provided that it is planted in deep shade, never exposed to direct sunlight and kept moist at all times. An increased humidity will be beneficial.

Varieties: Hothouse varieties: P. albido-squamatum; P. loriceum; P. pectinatum; P. quercifolium (Oak-leaved Fern); P. verrucosum. Cool greenhouse varieties: P. aureum; P. aureum Mandaianum; P. Billardieri; P. pustulatum; P. subauriculatum; P. subauriculatum Knightiae. Hardy varieties: P. vulgare and its varieties bifidum, cristatum, elegantissimum, hesperium, occidentale and trichomanoides; P.polypodioides.

Epiphyte or lithophyte in Brachystegia woodland or in low-altitude riverine forest.

This stonecrop is native to Southeast Asia, where it is common as either an epiphyte or lithophyte. They thrive in areas of semi-shade and moist, humid conditions. In the wild, they are usually found as climbers, or sometimes as liana on trees, sparsely scattered in tropical and subtropical climates. This evergreen fern can also be used ornamentally and grown in containers, either indoors or outdoors.

Pyrrosia longifolia is an attractive fern, commonly referred to as a Long Felt Fern, due to its long acicular leaves, which remind one of long, fuzzy flat-backed needles. This fern has long, creeping branches and grows to about 2' high and 2-3' wide. Its long, narrow leaves are often green-tinted with silver or whitish markings. It's perfect for hanging baskets or other containers, as it has a delicate, lacy appearance.

This fern is a slow grower, but can reach its full size in the right conditions. It prefers semi-shade and moist, humid conditions, although it can tolerate full sun in cool climates. It is not frost tolerant, so it is best grown in warm regions such as USDA Growing Zones 9-11. Pyrrosia longifolia is also considered an epiphyte, making it well-suited for use in terrariums, as long as it is given semi-shady, humid conditions and misted regularly, to mimic its natural habitat.

For those looking to grow Pyrrosia longifolia in colder, more temperate regions, it can be grown in a container. Choose a potting mix with excellent drainage and place the pot in an area that receives indirect sunlight, avoiding temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). Water the plant regularly and apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in the springtime. When the plant is dormant in winter, reduce watering, misting and fertilizing. During summer, provide your fern with moist, humid conditions by misting it regularly, and protecting it from direct sunlight.

Pyrrosia piloselloides is a epiphytic fern. The rhisomes of the fern are exposed to the air, and water availability is limited to periods when there is rain. The folding of the cell wall may be a survival mechanism by which the fern maintains cellular structural integrity, so that when water again becomes available, cells can resume normal metabolism immediately. Gametophytes of the Pyrrosia piloselloides were able to tolerate up to 50 days of drought.