Platycerium (Staghorn) Ferns As Epiphytes
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Madagascar's Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns
Located South East And Approximately 300 Miles From The Shores Of The Continent Of Africa There Is A Tropical Island By The Name Of Madagascar . This Island Is The Fourth Largest Island In The World And At One Time Was A Part Of The African Continent .
During The Latter Portion Of The Dinosaur Age Nature Decided To Disconnect This Portion Of Land , From The Continent Of Africa , And Develop A Unique And Interesting Island . When The Disconnecting Process Was Completed The Island Known As Madagascar Was Left With Unique , Unusual And Rare Prehistoric Flora And Fauna Life Forms Not Found Anywhere Else , In The World . Quite A Few Of These Prehistoric Plants And Animals Can Still Be Found Living And Surviving In Their Natural Habitat Within Madagascar's Prehistoric Tropical Rain Forest , To This Day . There Are 4 Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns That Still Maintain An Existence , Within Madagascar's Tropical Rain Forest Jungle And Are Just Four Of The Prehistoric Flora That Can Still Be Found Surviving There .
Madagascar's Prehistoric And Tropical Rain Forest Jungle Is Located , Within The Mountain Ranges Above Antananarivo The Capital Of Madagascar . The Tropical Rain Forest Is Very Lush , Green , Humid And Damp , But The Vast Majority Of The Island Is Rather Dry And Bare . Madagascar Is Bordered On The East By The Indian Ocean And The Constant Tropical Rains Arrive To The Island From This Ocean . The Island Receives Tropical Rains Almost Every Day To It's Eastern Side , But Very Little Of This Rain Is Able To Reach The Rain Forest's Western Side , Because Of The Islands High Mountain Ranges . These High Mountain Ranges Cause The Rain Clouds To Break Up Into Much Smaller Rain Clouds That Will Release The Rain In Smaller Amounts . The Upper Section On The Rain Forest's Eastern Side Will Receive The Greatest Amount Of Rain Fall , With The Middle And Lower Sections Receiving Their Rain In Lesser Amounts . The Rain That Is Able To Arrive To The Middle And Lower Sections , Of The Rain Forest's Western Side , Is Usually In The Form Of A Misty Rain . The Middle And Lower Sections , Of The Islands Rain Forest's Western Side , Is The Natural Living Habitat For Madagascar's Four Platycerium Ferns That Still Inhabit The Island And Can Be Found Growing , Living And Surviving As Epiphytes , Within This Day And Age .
The Four Species , Of Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns , Still Living And Surviving As Epiphytes , Within The Islands Rain Forest , Are Platy. Fern Quadridichotomum , Ellisii , Alcicorne Madagascar And Platy. Fern Madagascariense . All But One Of These Prehistoric Ferns , Platy. Fern Quadridichotomum , Has The Ability To Store Water , Within Their Fertile Fronds . All Four Species Require Basically The Same Cultivation Except , Platy. Quadridichotomum Which Requires A Little More Water After Its Fertile Fronds Have Matured . Platy. Quad. Also Enters Into A Dormancy Period , When Nature Changes Its Surface Temperatures , From Warm To Cool .
The Misty Rains Which Falls On The Middle Section , Of The Rain Forests Western Side , Where These Four Prehistoric Platy. Ferns Are Found Arrives In Intervals And Does Not Last Long . Between Each Interval There Is Dry Back Time , For The Species , Which Is Brought On By The Constant Air Circulation And Warm Surface Temperatures Constantly Present Around These Prehistoric And Epiphytic Ferns . Nature Has Given Three Of The Four Species A Means Of Surviving These Misty And Occasional Heavy Rains By Giving Them The Ability Not To Store Water , Within Their Shield Or Fertile Fronds . Platycerium (Staghorn) Fern Quadridichotomum Is The Only Species That Has The Ability To Store Moisture In Its Fertile Fronds . The Moisture Is Stored , Within Its Fertile Fronds In Order To Sustain Its Root Mass System Between The Occasional Heavy Rains . This Species Depends On The Heavy Rains , Not The Misty Rain , For Its Survival . If The Fertile Fronds , Of This Species , Receives Very Little Or No Moisture To Keep Them Full , The Fronds Will (Curl) , From This Lack Of Moisture . Platy. Fern Wallichii And Holttumii Are The Only Other Platycerium Ferns That Nature Has Given This Feature Of Water Storage , Within Their Fertile Fronds , But These Two Platycerium Fern Species Have A Natural Living Habitat Of Indonesia .
The Shield Fronds Of The Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Species Madagascariense , Ellisii And Platy. Alcicorne Madagascar Are Able To Protect The Species , From Drying Back To Fast , From The Constant And Excellent Air Circulation , The Warm Surface Temperatures Around The Species And Waiting For The Next Heavy Rain To Return , By Lying Tight And Flat Against The Root Mass And Its Host Plant .
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