155.100 Platycerium Desv.

Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria.

Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca

Description of the genus

Large epiphytes with short rounded rhizomes and a mass of roots. Fronds strongly dimorphous. Sterile fronds clasping the host (forming 'nest leaves'), sessile, persistent, circular to oblong, entire to shallowly lobed, becoming brown and enclosing a mass of roots, old sterile fronds and plant detritus. Fertile fronds emerging from the base of the sterile fronds, simple and broadly cuneate to dichotomously divided, arching or pendulous, undersurface densely set with stellate hairs. Main veins dichotomously branched, secondary veins forming areoles. Sori spread over the undersurface of the fertile frond, confined to the lobe or the bifurcations or covering large areas, mixed with stellate paraphyses.

Derivation of name: platys: flat,referring to the broad, flat sterile fronds; keras: honeycomb,referring to the prominent venation

Comment: Known to gardeners under the name of 'staghorn ferns'

Worldwide: c. 18 species, pantropical distribution

Zimbabwe: 1 cultivated taxon.

Platycerium alcicorne

Links to cultivated taxa    View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesContent
alcicorne Desv.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Platycerium:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Platycerium
Flora of Malawi: Platycerium
Flora of Mozambique: Platycerium
Flora of Zambia: Platycerium
Flora of Zimbabwe: Platycerium

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Platycerium
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Platycerium
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Platycerium
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Platycerium
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Platycerium
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Platycerium
JSTOR Plant Science: Platycerium
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Platycerium
Plants of the World Online: Platycerium
Tropicos: Platycerium
Wikipedia: Platycerium

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: genus page: Platycerium.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/genus.php?genus_id=42, retrieved 29 March 2024

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