The Genus Platycerium

428 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961 Table III. The effects of fumigants and varieties on the weight (lbs,) of conns produced per 100 ft, of row in 1960. Varieties White Elizabeth Spic & Florida Fumigant Fumigants Excelsior the Queen Span Friendship Pink Means Mylone 23.5 38.1 35.4 41.6 47.7 37.3 38.1 Vapam 26.7 32.9 41.2 40.1 49.7 Check 18.5 30.8 30.8 35.7 41.2 31.4 Variety 46.2 means 22.9 33.9 35.8 39.1 L.S.D 0.05 0.01 Between fumigant means 3.9 5.9 Between variety means 3.7 4.9 The failure of the fumigated plots to Either 75 gallons per acre of Vapam or 300 produce more corms than the untreated plots pounds of active Mylone applied two weeks in 1960 is believed to have resulted in part prior to planting is recommended for the from the fact that the untreated plots were production of cormels on sandy soils of Florida. kept relatively weed free throughout the LITERATURE CITED growing season by hoeing. During the two pre 1. Burgis, D. S. and A. J. Overman, 1956. Crop produc vious seasons, the untreated plots became tion in soil fumigated with crag mylone as affected by heavily infested with Bermuda grass and weeds rates, application methods and planting dates. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 69:207-210. in the latter part of the season. The beneficial 2. Burgis, D. S. and A. J. Overman, 1957. Chemicals effects of the fumigants during 1960 are re which act as combination herbicides, nematicides and soil fungicides: I. Effect on field-seeded tomatoes. Proc. Fla. flected in increased corm weights. State Hort. Soc. 70:137-139. 3. Burgis, D. S. and A. J. Overman, 1959. Vapam and As far as nematicidal action is concerned, VPM soil fumigant must be applied properly to be effective. all fumigants used during the three-year Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 72: 112-114. 4. Christie, J. R. and V. G. Perry, 1951. Removing nema period were highly satisfactory. todes from soil. Proc. Helm. Soc. Washington 18:106-108. 5. Fred, E. B. and S. A. Waksman, 1928. Laboratory Summary and Conclusion manual of General Microbiology, p. 13. 6. Magie, R. O. 1956. Gladiolus Stromatinia disease con The usefulness of Vapam and Mylone in the trolled by soil treatments and cultural methods. Phytopath production of gladiolus corms from cormels ology 46:19. 7. AAagie, R. O., 1957. Soil fumigation in controlling was investigated. Vapam at the rate of 75 gal gladiolus Stromatinia disease. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. lons per acre or Mylone at the rate of 300 70:373-379. , , 8. AAagie, R. O. 1958. AAylone controls gladiolus dry rot pounds active per acre was effective in control disease. Station to Station Research News. Union Carbide Chemical Company 4:1-2. ling weeds, nematodes, and soil-borne fungi. 9. Overman, A. J. and D. S. Burgis, 1957. Chemicals Corm production was increased markedly by which act as combination herbicides, nematicides and soil fungicides: II. Effect on soil microorganisms. Proc. Fla. the use of either fumigant. State Hort. Soc. 70:139-143. THE GENUS PLATYCERIUM James Floyde Griffin, jr. and keras, meaning horn. It is ideally des criptive for the reason that the plants exhibit Executive Secretary fronds which are promptly reminiscent of ant Florida Nurserymen & Growers Association, Inc. lers. The Platycerium comprise a small group of 79 Harbor Plaza plants of rather widely scattered habitat Key Biscayne throughout the sub-tropical and tropical regions The botanical name, derived from the of the world. Some are found in temperate Greek, is compounded of platy, meaning broad, Australia, others in the Malay archipelago, the GRIFFIN: PLATYCERIUM 429 Philippines, Africa and one species is found in Neuroplatyceros Plukenet was a pre-Linnaean the South American Andes. The genus is name of Platycerium alcicorne, cited as a syn- readily recognized by the repeatedly forked nonym, even in binomial form as N. ethiopicus, character of the fertile or spore bearing fronds. by many writers, and taken up by Fee, as a These plants produce both fertile and in matter of justice, in avowed violation of rules fertile fronds, each type of a distinctly different, already recognized. » but harmonious structure. The fertile fronds Alcicorne (bifurcatum) are usually antler-like, and carry the spores in patches, usually on the underside of the leaf Al-cic-orn-e (Elk's Horn) extremity. The barren or basal fronds tend Found in Tropical Australia, Java and the to be rounded, shield-like and usually grow in East Indies. It was introduced to the Royal symmetrical, opposite pairs, pressed back flatly Botanical Gardens at Kew in 1808. Basal fronds convex against the growing media, and con are rounded, ascending, curving outward, con forming to the container shape. These persis vex, with edges waved and lobes spreading, and tent basal fronds or scales gradually fade from are downy when young. The fertile fronds are their original green, becoming brown and 2 feet to 3 feet long, bright green, clustered, overlapping. They protect a mass of stems and of somewhat upright habit, twice or three times roots, and collect a composting debris which forked, and of a thick, leathery texture; their helps to nourish the plant. From a point where strap-shaped and bluntish ultimate divisions these leaves intersect, somewhat tangentially, have the sporangia located in the last forks and the fertile fronds arise and arch out. at their base in very irregular patches, and the Besides the unique mode of growth of these under-surface is covered with a thin cottony ferns, their distinguishing character resides in down; upper-surface covered with a dense stel the location of the sori (spore masses), which late (star-shaped) pubescence. form large patches on the lower surface of the This species is one of the more robust growers, fertile fronds, and are in most cases situated easily propagated from the young plants pro at their extremity, which they cover to the duced on the roots. length of sometimes as much as 8 inches. The fertile fronds are in all cases, as regards shape, Alcicorne majus size and texture, thoroughly different from the Al-cic-orn-e ma-jus (larger) barren ones, which are of a peculiar rounded Found in Australia and the Malayan Penin shape, convex, and of a rather thick, parchment- sula. like texture. Basal fronds are roundish, convex and over In support of the contention that this fern lapping. Fertile Fronds are broadly lobed, borne has a heritage of great antiquity, fossilized on stiff flat stalks, rich green in color and spores have been identified in sandstone of the seldom divided more than once. These fronds cretaceous period, which would indicate this tend to be erect, with the broad forking lobes plant family has an age of about a hundred elegantly pendulous. Sporangia located at tips million years. of frond lobes. Platycerium is an isolated genus, raised to Much more robust than P. alcicorne with family status by Ching. There is some suggestion larger foliage. of relationship to Dipteris, Cheinopleuria and Andinum Christiopteris; but it is not intimate. There is more evident resemblance to Pyrrosia. An-di-num Alcicornium was proposed by Gaudichaud Found in E. Peru and E. Bolivia. First de as the name of a genus which would be recog scribed by J. G. Baker (annals of Botany, Vol. nized after further study. Its publication was 5, p. 496, 1891). Collected by Richard Spruce explicitly tentative. Approximately one year in E. Peru and by Pearce from Paquichas in E. later, Platycerium was properly published, and Bolivia, 1857. Gaudichaud accepted the name. Except as Basal fronds like P. alcicorne but much Underwood, (1899) and Bull Torry Club 32 larger, 2 feet to 3 feet long. Fertile fronds 6 feet (1905) 587, undertook to revive Alcicornium, to 10 feet long, very pendulous, with long it has been recognized properly as an abortive ribbonlike lobes, and sporangia located at third publication. fork back. 430 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961 The only known Platycerium from the differentiation, on the underside of the leaf) western hemisphere. Wilhelm Miller et R. C. were called. In Copelands' Philippine Book, Benedict, in Bailey's Cyclopedia of Horticulture there is only one picture, a full, front page states, "the type specimen was collected by photograph of Platycerium biforme, of a plant Spruce in the Andes of Peru, approximately in Manila, the fronds at least 15 feet long. 1857 and anyone who has ever read Spruce's Ellisii book, on his ten year's travel in northern South Ellis-ii America, with travel almost entirely by water, the inhabitants few and far between, a half- Found in Madagascar. Named by Sir Joseph savage mixture of Indians, Portuguese, Spanish D. Hooker for Rev. W. Ellis of Madagascar and negroes, with Indians predominating, can and described by J. G. Baker (Journal Linnaean not conceive of any plants having been intro Society of London, Vol. 15, P. 421, 1876, who duced as has been suggested by Copeland." said: "It has shallowly forked, narrow, deltoid Angolense (elephantotis) fronds—green on both surfaces, sporangial area Found in Upper Congo-land, Angola, tropical extending from edge to edge through the upper Africa. Described by Dr. Welwitsch. Discovered quarter." (Illustrated in Hooker's "Icones" in 1855. vol. 16), Basal fronds ascending, large, stiffly erect, hav Ellisii diversifolium ing a purplish veining and wavy crest providing a very majestic appearance. Fertile fronds Graf in Hortus states: "Dwarf epiphyte at broadly wedge-shaped in outline with corners tractive because of the erect habit of its fronds rounded and merely wavy at the margin, nine which are broadly spreading into twice-divided, inches or more across the top.

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