Platycerium (Staghorn) Ferns As Epiphytes
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Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Superbum
Next To Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Bifurcatum , Platycerium Fern Superbum Is The Species You Can Find Information About The Most . This Information Can Give You The Molecular Makeup Of The Species , Its Native Habitat , When The Species Was Discovered And The Like . But Most Collectors Still Have Problems Cultivating This Species And Find It Very Hard To Cultivate . At One Time This Species , Which Has A Living And Cultivating Habitat , Of Australia , Had The Name Of Grande Until The Botanist Decided To Change Its Name To Superbum And Give The Name Grande To The Species Which Has A Natural Living And Cultivating Habitat , Of The Philippines .
Platycerium Fern Superbum Is A Year Round Growing Species , Because The Species Will Not Enter Into A Dormancy Period Like Some Platycerium Fern Species . The Species Produces Shield Fronds During The Summer , Fall , Winter And Spring . The Upper And Lower Portions Of Platycerium Fern Superbum's Shield Frond Veins Are Thick , Solid And Very Strong . The Shield Frond Veins Perform A Very Important Task In Its Natural Living And Cultivating Habitat , By Wrapping The Lower Portion Of Its Shield Frond Around A Tree And Becoming The Main Holding Bond , For The Species , To Its Host Plant . When The Shield Fronds Die Back Two Purposes Are Served (1) By The Upper Portion Of The Frond Bending Back Over The Root Mass To Give It Protection And (2) By Allowing Debris To Fall Behind The New Shield Fronds To Mulch And Give The New Growing Roots Nutrients .
There Are Four Large Species Of Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns , Platy. Fern Wandae , Platy. Fern Philippine Grande , Platy. Fern Holttumii And Platy. Fern Superbum Which Has Two Reproductive Spore Patches Per Fertile Frond . The Fertile Fronds , Of Platycerium Fern Superbum Becomes Very Large , Hangs Downward And Has Long Narrow Fingers On Each Side Of Its Spore Patches . The Species Usually Produces Its Fertile Fronds In Late Spring Through Mid Summer And The Spore Patches , On The Fronds , Are Usually Ripe And Ready For Harvesting In The Late Fall Of Their Production Year . Its A Little Hard Hard To Tell When The Spores Of This Species Are Ripe , By Your Eyes And With The Color Of The Patch Being Brown , Because The Patch Turns Brown Shortly After Production . There Is One Way To Over Come This Wonder In Progress By Watching The Natural Release Time For Your Cultivating Environment , For A Full Season And Placing A Catch , For The Spores , Under The Patch . This Method Will Give You An Estimated Time As To When Nature Naturally Releases The Spores From The Species , Within Your Cultivating Environment .
The True Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Superbum Does Not Posses Stellate Hairs On Its Shield Frond Or Fertile Fronds . The Variation Of The Species , With Stellate Hairs , Came About In A Ladies Platycerium Fern Collection By The Name Of Weitzs That Lived In Southern California And Was Very Good Friends With Talnage , Ziesenhenne And Other Well Known Collectors Of The Time . With The Introduction Of Her Different Form Of Platycerium Fern Superbum , Which Everyone Liked Better Than The True Species , Came A Very Big Change In The Superbum Species Found In Collections Today . Her Platycerium Fern Superbum Had Stellate Hairs On The Face Of The Plants Shield Fronds And Fertile Fronds , Which Caused The Species To Appear White . Spores Were Germinated Of This Form , Because Collectors Preferred The Looks Of This Form Over The True Species And Over Time The Form Pushed The True Platycerium Fern Superbum Species , Which Doesn't Have Stellate Hairs On Its Surface , Out Of Collections . Today This Is The Form , Of Platycerium Fern Superbum , You Will Receive .
This Platycerium Fern Species Requires Complete Drying Back Between Watering In Order To Live And Survive . The Species Cultivates Best When Temperatures Are Between (40) And (55) Degrees With Very Low Humidity 37% And Filtered Sun Light Between 30% And 50% . The Air Movement Around Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Superbum Should Be Good . When Temperatures Rise Above (70) Degrees The Growth Of The Species Slows Way Down Or Stops And If To Much Water Is Given To The Species During This Time The Species Will Suffer Shield Frond Or Root Rot . Platycerium Fern Superbum Is Not A Tropical Plant Species So You Cannot Expect This Species To Live , Grow Or Survive Within A Cultivating Environment That Is Tropicals , Where There Is Plenty Of Moisture And The Humidity Is High .
Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Superbum Can Be An Easy Species If Given Its Required Cultivation And Becomes Very Large As The Species Reaches Maturity . The Main Cultivating Factors To Remember , For This Species , Is Water And Temperature . Allow The Species To Completely Dry Back Between Watering And Give The Species Cool Temperatures .
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