Platycerium (Staghorn) Ferns As Epiphytes
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Shield Frond Fertile Frond Growing Bud Spore Patch Platycerium Fern Rear View
Prehistoric Platycerium Fern , Shield Fronds
The Shield Fronds Of Most Platycerium Ferns Will Only Serve One Function When Young , But Serve 3 Functions After Reaching Maturity And Continue Serving Three Functions Throughout Their Entire Life Span . The First Function , Of The Shield Fronds , Is To Protect The Root System . Their Second Function , After Attaining Some Size , Is Catching The Debris That Falls Behind Them For Nutrients . Their Third Function , Is Becoming An Anchor Or Bond In Order To Hold The Platy. Species To Its Host Plant , Which Usually Is A Living Tree . Keep In Mind We Are Speaking Of Epiphytic Plant Species .
Shield Fronds Protect The Species Root System And Root Mass From Damages That Can Occur , From The Forces Of Nature , And Will Not Allow The Debris That Has Been Collected Behind Them And Turned Into Mulch To Dry Back Very Fast . This Function Occurs Throughout The Platycerium Ferns Life Span , For Some Platy. Species .
Some Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns Like Platy. Elephantotis And Platy. Wallichii Will Have Shield Fronds That Have A Fourth Function , Of Being Or Acting As A Sponge . With These Platy. Species The Lower Portion Of The Shield Frond Acts As A Sponge And Will Hold Moisture And Give That Moisture To The Roots And Root System , When The Rains Have Stopped . The Upper Portion Of These Fronds Will Lack This Sponge Makeup , For Retaining Moisture . Two Species , Platy. Fern Holttumii And Platy. Fern Coronarium Are Two , Of The Platycerium Species , Where Their Entire Shield Fronds Have The Make Up , Of A Spongy Material . There Are A Few Species Where Their Shield Fronds Have No Moisture Storage Capacity In Either Their Upper Or Lower Portions Such As Platy. Fern Ridleyi , Platy. Fern Madagascariense And The Prehistoric Platy. Fern Quadridichotomum Species .
The Shield Fronds , Of Some Platycerium Ferns , Act As A Catch Basin To Collect Natures Debris Behind Them . This Collected Debris Behind The Shield Fronds Will Slowly Mulch And Feed The Platy. Fern Natural Nutrients . Here Again We Will Find A Function That Is Not Common To All Platycerium Ferns . Species Such As Prehistoric Platy. Fern Superbum , Bifurcatum , Holttumii , Wallichii And Prehistoric Platy. Fern Grande Will Possess This Function , But With Species Such As Like Prehistoric Platy. Fern Madagascariense , Both Alcicorne Species , Ridleyi And Prehistoric Platy. Fern Ellisii They Will Not Possess This Function . These Species Shield Fronds Are Set , By Nature , To Protect The Root System And Root Mass From Receiving Too Much Moisture . These Shield Fronds Lie Flat Against And Very Tightly Wrap Around Its Host Plant .
The Upper Portion , Of The Shield Fronds , On Species With The Ability To Catch Debris Will Catch Anything That Nature Has To Offer For Food Which Includes Insects , Leaves And Even Some Small Animals . This Catching Function Will Begin When The Shield Fronds Have Reached A Sufficient Size Where They Can Hold Debris . The Species Without This Debris Catching Function Receives Their Nutrients , For Survival , Through Their Fertile Fronds And The Decaying Bark That Comes From The Species Host Plant .
When Young , The Root Mass For All Platycerium Ferns Is The Main Anchor Or Bond For Holding The Platycerium Fern To Its Host Plant . This Will Change , For Some Species , As They Mature , But Continues For Others Throughout Their Life Span . After Some Platycerium Ferns Have Reached A Certain Size The Root Mass Becomes To Weak To Hold The Weight , Of The Species And Needs A Little Help Performing The Task . At That Point The Species Shield Fronds Assume Most Of The Holding Responsibility And Becomes The Primary Anchor . The Root Mass , Of These Platy. Ferns , Are Much Thinner And Weaker Than The Root Mass Of The Species Where The Shield Fronds Do Not Become Their Primary Anchor . Three Platycerium Ferns Where Their Shield Fronds Do Not Become Their Primary Anchor Are Prehistoric Platy. Fern Quadridichotomum , Platy. Fern Bifurcatum And Prehistoric Platy. Fern Madagascariense .
There Is One Prehistoric Platycerium Fern , Platy. Fern Wandae , Which Produces Points On Its Shield Fronds . The Points Are Located At The Center Of The Shield Frond Around The Growing Bud And Resembles The Teeth , On A Drive Gear . These Points , Which Are Always On The Shield Fronds Of Platy. Fern Wandae Is Are Very Helpful When Identifying This Species , From The Other Platycerium Ferns , Which Closely Resembles This Species .
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