Stats

Lifespan

30-50 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

Australia

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Defense

Armor

Status

Uncommon

About

This large fern grows on the trunks of trees throughout eastern Australia. It develops two distinct leaf types, one to catch falling debris and another to produce spores.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Polypodiopsida

Order

Polypodiales

Family

Polypodiaceae

Genus

Platycerium

Species

Platycerium superbum