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Staghorn Ferns (epiphyte)
Platycerium superbum
-27.5491, 153.059
Field Notes
Description:
This is one of the most unusual staghorn fern clusters I've seen for quite some time, and definitely the first of the species I've seen in Toohey Forest. Dozens of plants have colonised this tree trunk, and all appear to be very healthy despite the dry weather at the time. Platycerium superbum (pron. superb-um), is a bracket epiphyte, or sometimes a lithophyte, and occurs naturally in tropical and subtropical rainforests. It's native to northeast New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia, but can also be found in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. NB: Epiphytes grow on trees, lithophytes grow on rocks. Either way, these are not parasitic plants.
Habitat:
This spotting was in Toohey Forest, a remnant eucalyptus woodland reserve of approximately 655 hectares. It is situated within an urban area on the south side of Brisbane, within the city limits. Despite the drought and the thin tree canopy, these staghorns were thriving, situated in the riparian zone along one of the (then) dry creek courses. The last photo shows the area after a couple of good, heavy downpours a few weeks later. The weather has been hot and humid.
Notes:
Staghorn or elkhorn? The difference between these two plants is the elkhorn (Platycerium bifurcatum) has thinner, whispier leaves and multiple “eyes” or rosettes of foliage, whereas the staghorn has a single eye and larger leaves. These two species are now very popular as cultivated plants.
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