Platycerium superbum
plat-ee-SIR-ee-um soo-PER-bum
Also recorded as: Platycerium superbum Jonch. & Hennipman All names
Recognize P. superbum by its solitary crown, large green shield basket, and paired hanging fertile fronds with one central spore patch each. Full description
- Species
- Platycerium superbum Jonch. & Hennipman
- Native range
- Australia
Wild Platycerium superbum on a steep rainforest slope in the Lamb Range west of Cairns, Queensland. The plant’s large green basket rises from a solitary crown among the surrounding forest vegetation.
Mature · May 25, 2026 · © Steve Fitzgerald · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original source ↗︎Browse this record
Care
Care difficulty: BeginnerGenerally easy to grow and fairly tolerant of cool weather. Give it plenty of room: its large shield fronds spread upward, while the long mature fronds hang below the mount.
Give it bright, filtered daylight, such as near a bright window with strong sun softened by a sheer curtain. A grow light can help if the spot gets too little daylight.
It handles cool weather well, but keep it sheltered from frost.
Description
A large, solitary staghorn fern that usually grows on large rainforest trees and sometimes on rock. It occurs from near sea level to approximately 900 m (2,950 ft), especially in vine forest, rainforest margins, stream banks, and rocky gorges. The upright basket catches rain and falling plant material and funnels them toward the roots.
Shield fronds form a broad green basket that may exceed 60 cm (24 in) across. The lower portion presses against the tree or rock, while the upper portion rises into a wide fan of repeatedly forked lobes. Unlike the shields of many familiar staghorns, mature shields remain green for an extended period.
Fertile fronds are usually produced as a matching pair and hang downward, reaching approximately 30–200 cm (12–79 in). They can fork as many as five times. A single broad spore-producing patch, approximately 10–50 cm (4–20 in) wide, forms on the underside around the first fork of each fertile frond.
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