Plant · GBIF taxon 4024927
Crown Staghorn Fern
Platycerium coronariumAlso known as Disc Staghorn Fern
Crown staghorn ferns cling high in the rainforest canopy, anchoring securely onto host trees as massive epiphytes. Broad, upright shield fronds form an interlocking basket that traps falling leaves and rainwater, slowly creating rich organic compost to sustain the root mass. Beneath this nest, magnificent ribbon-like fertile fronds hang several meters down, bearing spores on specialized rounded lobe discs that release clouds of reproductive dust on warm canopy breezes.
EpiphyteTropicalCanopy Dweller
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decomposed canopy litter
- Dissolved rainwater minerals
- Trapped insect debris
Predators
- Scale insects
- Fern-eating caterpillars
- Herbivorous snails
ThreatsTropical deforestation, canopy habitat degradation, and overcollection for the horticultural trade
HabitatsHumid lowland rainforests, freshwater swamp forests, and coastal woodlands
Life span20–50 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPolypodiales
- FamilyPolypodiaceae
- GenusPlatycerium
- SpeciesPlatycerium coronarium
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Viewing: Look high into the crotches of large mature rainforest trees where colonies establish.
- Cultivation: Provide high humidity, bright filtered light, and mount on sturdy wood rather than potting.
Frequent Companion Obsidian Soul / CC0 · cc0
Close Relative (c) Leon Perrie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Leon Perrie · cc-by
Close Relative Ernst Haeckel / Public domain · cc0
Image unavailableClose Relative
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