Platycerium - Species

 There are two forms of the P. Alcicorne; one from Africa and one from Madagascar and they are uniquely different.  Considered an easy-to-grow species with upright fertile fronds bending down on the tips. The East Africa variety are characteristically yellow-green, waxy with nearly no hair and the dead shield fronds turn rich brown when they die. The Madagascar variety fertile fronds are characteristically wide dark green, with many hairs.  

 This dry forest species needs good ventilation, and drying between watering.

Young fertile fronds are covered with dense silvery hairs.  As the fertile frond matures, it appears more waxy with prominent veins.  The fertile fronds fork and create a lobe where you might expect a spore patch. 

 Generally narrow fertile fronds, upright with the ends hanging down.  Tips of shields are divided into lobes which are often pointed and extend forward.  Shields are usually brown during spring and summer, green shields form during the spring and summer.  Fertile fronds remain green, grow most of the year and last 2 or 3 years. 

 Shield fronds are highly lobed and very thick and corky.  Fertile fronds form a long and twisted mass, with spore patches on the underside of kidney-shaped lobes.  

 Produces large un-branched, dark green foliar fronds. The shield fronds are massive and die in the spring and need the tops trimmed so new shield can grow erectly.  Large fern. Native to dry forests of tropical Africa. 

 Forming yellow-green color, waxy coating,  shield fronds in the spring and early summer, and fertile fronds during the late summer and fall.  The P. Ellisii is unique in the fertile fronds are consistently wide and and divided into only two points near the tips. 

 Grande typically has 2 spore patches but no frills around the bud.  When comparing photos of the grande and the P. superbum, the P. grande appear to have much thinner dangling fronds below the lobes with spore patches. Recent Paper.

 Forming semi-erect dark green, foliar fronds.  The fertile fronds are long, erect, wedge-shaped with forked tips.  There apear to be a couple different forms for the P. hillii.   One of the main characteristics of the P. hillii is the wide fertile fronds. 

 Having fertile fronds with two lobes, one smaller and elevated, the other larger and hanging down.  Both lobes have spore patches.  It differs from P. wandae by not having the little points (frills) on the edges of the shield fronds around the bud. 

 Shields veins form tall ridges which surround  pockets.  New shields are thin and light green, but turn rich dark green when they mature.  The shields cover the top of the moss and do not collect debris behind them.  Fertile fronds reach out with a central spore patch.

 The fertile fronds hang down.  Their edges are usually wavy.  Their upper surface may be hairy in bright sunlight.  The lower surface is densely covered with tan hairs.  The spore patch is dark brown, and located in the area of the second frond division. 

 The spore grow on the underside of spoon-shaped lobes that protrude from the normal fertile fronds.  The shield fronds grow so they keep most water water out of the root ball.  Thrives in higher light, airey and warmer conditions.

 Large-growing wide shields, wavy at the top and short lived and are seasonal.  The fertile fronds are often shiny on the upper surface, and quite hairy on the underneath.  The fertile fronds show a main division into two lobes and each of these lobes divides once again.  There are two spore patches on each frond, one on each main lobe, in the area of its division.  When mature the spore patches are dark brown. 

Similar to the Stemaria but still being reviewed as to its classification.

 Shield fronds are deeply lobed and may reach 4 ft tall.  Upper edges extend forward to form a catch basin.  Once the shield fronds reach 18 inches from the bud. fertile fronds can be expected. Each fertile frond has one spore patch, oval to nearly triangular and brown when mature with frills around the bud.

P. veitchii features show a great amount of white hair on the fertile fronds.  Its fertile fronds are very upright in high light.  The tops of its shield fronds grow into tall thin fingers.  As the shield frond decays, it leaves a distinctive skeleton of the frond.

In high light, fertile fronds are shorter, lighter and more vertical with more spore patches.

Shield fronds are very upright and lobed along the top forming a basket.  The fertile fronds grow two lobes with frills around the bud, the smaller lobe is elevated.

Wandae typically has two spore patches, one smaller and elevated.

 The shield fronds form baskets and turn brown.  The fertile fronds grow multiple rounded lobes and only the first two lobes have spore patches. The fertile fronds had distinctively prominent veins on the upper side.  

 Closely related to P. bifurcatum but the shield fronds are different by being very tall and deeply lobed.  They quickly turn brown and as they decay a mesh of veins is left standing.  Usually there is a stark contrast between the brown shield fronds and the green fertile fronds.  A mature plant will have 12 fertile fronds growing out of the bud.