Platycerium grande

Platycerium grande, the giant staghorn fern, capa de leon (Spanish: lion's cape), and dapong repolyo (Filipino: air cabbage),[3] is a species of epiphytic fern in the family Polypodiaceae. It is one of the two staghorn ferns native to the Philippines, alongside with P. coronarium, and is endemic to the island of Mindanao, in the provinces of Zamboanga, Lanao and Davao.[4] P. grande is often collected from the forests and sold as a highly prized ornamental plant. Due to overcollection and the difficulty of the spores to germinate under natural conditions,[3] in vitro technique is necessary to ensure mass production of this plant species.[5] The local government categorized it as critically endangered species.[1]

Platycerium grande
Platycerium grande (center) depicted in Kunstformen der Natur (1904)
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Suborder:	Polypodiineae
Family:	Polypodiaceae
Genus:	Platycerium
Species:	P. grande
Binomial name
Platycerium grande (Fée) Kunze (1850)[2]

Gallery

• 
  P. grande in cultivation
• 
  Nursery-grown seedlings of P. grande
• 
  Close-up shot of P. grande frond

References

1. "Updated national list of threatened Philippine plants and their categories" (PDF). Co Digital Flora of the Philippines. Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Retrieved 1 September 2018.
2. "Platycerium grande". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
3. Amoroso, Victor; Coritico, Fulgent; Briones, Niko Niño. "Saving endangered and endemic ferns". Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). Central Mindanao University (CMU). Retrieved 28 November 2018.
4. Barcelona, Julie; Nickrent, Dan. "Pteridophytes (Lycophytes & Monilophytes)". Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines. Association of Tropical Biology & Conservation. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
5. Aspiras, Reyno A. (2010-01-01). "Sporophyte and gametophyte development of Platycerium coronarium (Koenig) Desv. and P. grande (Fee) C. Presl. (Polypodiaceae) through in vitro propagation". Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 17 (1): 13–22. doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2009.12.003. ISSN 1319-562X. PMC 3730856. PMID 23961053.