Platycerium bifurcatum
FAMILY NAME Polypodiaceae
CHARACTERISTICS Evergreen fern with fertile, arching, forked fronds up to 90cm (36in) long, and shorter, sterile, heart-shaped fronds
HABITAT Rainforests
DISTRIBUTION Native to Australia and New Guinea
FLOWERS AND FRUIT Ferns are non-flowering
Also known as Common Staghorn Fern, this plant gets its name from the drooping, forked fronds that resemble a stag’s antlers. It has two different types of fronds. Sterile, heart-shaped fronds attach to the trunk or branch of a host tree and act as a support for the rest of the plant; they also catch any debris so that it can be transformed into essential nutrients. Larger, fertile fronds grow from the centre of the first, spreading outwards in a typical ‘antler’ shape.