Platycerium (Staghorn) Ferns As Epiphytes
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Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Ridleyi , Continued
Let's Take A Look At The Shield Fronds , Of Platycerium Fern Ridleyi . The Shield Fronds Of This Species Are Very Thin , When Young And Have No Moisture Storing Capacity . The Fronds Can Tear Quite Easy When Living , But When They Die They Become Quite Hard And Brittle . The Veins , Within The Shield Fronds Begin At The Growing Bud And Extends All The Way To The Outer Edge Of The Frond , With No Crossing Along The Way . There Are Also Deep Valleys Or Indentations , On Each Side Of The Veins And The Valleys Begin At The Growing Bud And Extends To The Outer Edge , Of The Shield Fronds .
Notice The Thick Veins And The Valleys The Veins Produce And How The Shield Fronds Wrap Around The Moss That Has Been Placed Around The Root System . You Can See That The Shield Fronds Will Bond To The Root Mass And Host Plant . Remember , We Are Speaking Of Epiphytes .
Now Let's Touch Base With The Root System , Of This Species . The Growing And Bonding Roots , For Platy. Fern Ridleyi Are Just As Strong As Its Shield Frond Veins And These Roots Are The Anchor To Its Host Plant , For The Species . Debris Cannot Make Its Way Past The Shield Fronds And To The Root System , But What Debris Falls Upon The Shield Fronds And Mulch Will Give The Species Nutrients , When It Rains . By Being Cultivated , In This Manner , Platy. Fern Ridleyi Can Live , Grow And Survive , From The Nutrients It Receives From This Debris . The Drying Back , Of This Species Root Mass Is A Slow Process , Being Caused By Its Shield Frond Covering The Root Mass . This Is Needed For The Survival , Of Platy. Fern Ridleyi And Giving The Species Excellent Air Movement Will Cause The Species Not To Develop Root Rot . Behind Each Shield Frond There Are Growing Roots And Moisture Needs To Reach Them , For The Species To Grow Well And Live . You Can Not Depend On The Old Roots That Are Embedded In The Root Mass To Keep Platy. Fern Ridleyi Living .
Lets Take A Look At The Rhizome , Of Platy. Fern Ridleyi And Its Function . The Terms Rhizome And Bud Are Not The Same , The Difference Being That The Bud Is That Portion at The Forward End , Of The Rhizome , That Can Be Seen , From The Front Of The Species . The Rhizome Is Hidden , Within The Root Mass . This Portion Of Platy. Fern Ridleyi And All Other Platycerium Ferns Is And Always Will Be The Life Blood Of The Species , Sort Of Like The Navel Cord Of A Human And Without The Rhizome Growing Properly You Will End Up With A (Dead) Platycerium Fern For Sure . Think In Terms Of A Carrot , With Roots Beginning At Its Bottom And If You Allow The Carrot To Hang Around For Awhile You Will Notice That New Roots Begin Shooting Out Every So Often , With A Distance Between Them . The Growing Roots , From The Rhizome , Of Platycerium Ferns Are Produced In This Same Manner .
Two Problems Are Presented To Platy. Fern Ridleyi And Other Platycerium Ferns , With The Type Of Shield Frond Growth It Has . One Problem Is The Lack Of Debris That Can Reach The Root Mass To Give The Platy. Fern Nutrients , Because Of How Tightly The Shield Fronds Are Wrapped Around The Root Mass And Each Other . The Second Problem This Type Of Shield Fronds Cause Is That The Rhizome Becomes Rather Long And Can Be Very Easily Broken At Its Forward End . The Forward Portion , Of The Rhizome , Next To The Growing Bud And A Short Distance Down Is Thin , Alive And Growing , But Beyond That Portion The Rhizome Is Thick , Hard And Can Handle Being Broken . Usually The Lower Portion , Of The Rhizome , Will Not Break Very Easy , Because This Portion Has Turned A Hard Wood . The Forward Portion Is What Usually Breaks , Because Of Its Thinness . Be Careful And Avoid Breaking The Forward Portion , Of The Rhizome , Or You Will End Up With A (Dead) Platy. Fern . If The Forward Portion , Of The Rhizome Is Broken You Can Place Your Platy. Fern Ridleyi , In The Trash .
When You See The Rhizome , Of Platy. Fern Ridleyi Becoming To Long , Retie The Shield Fronds By Making An (x) Tie Across The Shield Fronds With Monofiliment , Which Is Fishing Line . By Doing This You Have Just Re-Secured Your Platycerium Fern .
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