Platycerium bifurcatum (Elkhorn Fern)
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Elkhorn Fern
Photograph copyright: oznativeplants - all rights reserved.
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Elkhorn Fern - young plants
Photograph copyright: oznativeplants - all rights reserved.
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ELKHORN FERN FACTS |
Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License
Common Name
Elkhorn Fern
Description
The Elkhorn is an epiphytic fern (a fern that grows on the branches of tree canopies or on fallen logs). The shield fronds are deeply lobed. The fertile fronds are strap shaped (to 3cm wide) and stand semi-erect, drooping downwards with age. The base of the fertile frond is slender and narrowly wedge-shaped, and the upper half of the frond is forked two or three times. The spores are found at the tips of the fertile fronds. Small plants called "pups" grow from buds on the outer regions on the shield fronds, enabling the plant to multiply into a large mass. Sometimes the mass is so large that the whole colony falls to the ground.
Habitat
rainforest to areas of swamp and open forest, often grows in large masses on boulders or trees
Distribution
far Northern Queensland to southern New South Wales
Growth Characteristics
Height: 90 cm
Spread: 80 cm
Classification
| Class: | Polypodiopsida | | Order: | Polypodiales | | Family: | Polypodiaceae | | Genus: | Platycerium | | Species: | bifurcatum | | Common Name: | Elkhorn Fern |
Relatives in same Genus
Platycerium grande
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