PLATYCEEIUM 



15:111. On. 51, p. 259. G.C. III. 10:(in7. Xot Mn. 1, p. 

 77, which is really P. grande. 



Var. m&jus, Moore, is stronger-growing, more up- 

 right, and with thick, leathery, dark green fronds. Ac 

 cording to F. L. Atkins, the fertile fronds are more 

 broadly cut than the type and seldom forked more than 

 once. Polynesia. Veitch's Catalogue 1873, p. 13. 



W. M 

 Xo private conservatory should make any pretensions 

 to rank in the first class that does not take pride lu at 

 least one well-grown specimen of Platycerium. The 

 Stag-horn Ferns are amongst the most beautiful and 

 distinct of ferns — perhaps the most striking of all— 1 e 

 cause of their noble, antlered appearance and their 

 epiphytal habit. They have two kinds of fronds, bar 

 ren and fertile, the former being rounded disks which 

 clasp the tree trunk, while the fertile fronds generally 

 hang down and look like antlers. Occasionall> the 

 barren fronds are more or less antlered. as in P 

 grande, but never give so perfect a suggestion as do 

 the fertile fronds. The species are all tropical, except 

 P. alcicorne, which is therefore the easiest to grow and 

 the commonest in cultivation. This species can endure 

 a night temperature of 50° F. or even less. The glory 

 of the genus, however, is P. grande (Fig. 1848). The 

 barren fronds are exceptionally large, rounded and 

 wavy margined at the base, deeply cut above, forming 

 an erect or arching background to the pendent feitile 

 fronds, which fork more times and have much narr \er 

 segments than the barren fronds. Uiifortuuateh tl i 

 is the only species that does not produce suckers at tl e 

 roots, by which all the others are easily propagate<l It 

 alone must be raised from spores, a long and anxious 

 process. The only kind that has an erect and rigid 

 habit is P. ffillii, which therefore is grown in pots 

 while all the others may be grown on a block of wood 

 and some in baskets. P. hi i,,,;, ,,.]](]. -r-^ from all others 

 in having a separate and <ii.^i:ili/r,l -iru.'ture on which 

 the sori are borne, the ctlii r kiniU l>. ;iring their spore 



masses on the under siufa •{ thr f, rtile fronds at or 



near the last forks. P. !'fh:,-n", i1imiii.'Ii advertised in 

 America, is probably nnwlim- in .■nltivation in the 

 world. There is an iiiipn.v.-.l f.inii .if the common 

 type known as P. ah-i-'um . v.n-. iimjiis, which is 

 stronger-growing and has thic-kir fnmds, enabling it 

 to endure a drier atmosphere. It is therefore one of 

 the best, if not the best, for exhibition purposes \t 

 the other extreme from the slender grace of P. ale 

 e'orne and the rest is the bold and broad style of 

 P. ^thiopieuni. P. Angolense is the only one which 

 bear.s no resemblance to antlers. 



All the species require a moist atmosphere, though 

 the humidity should be reduced during the winter 

 With the exception of P. alcicorne they all require a 

 high temperature. All need perfect drainage, and in 

 winter they should not have too much direct syringing 

 for they need a slight rest and are likely to spot or 

 damp-off if water remains on the foliage too long. 

 P. j:thiopicum is said to be particularly sensitive. 

 Stag-horn Ferns are often grown on pieces of tree-fern 

 stem. They are fastened to such support or to a board 

 by means oi wire, having first furnished the roots with 

 a slit piece of peat for root-hold and some sphagnum 

 moss, to which may be added a little bonemeal for food 

 and some charcoal for drainage. A little moss may be 

 added every year or two. Eventually the barren fronds 

 will entirely cover this material and the plants should 

 then be left undisturbed for years. A Stag-horn Pern, 

 witli antlers spreading 6 or 8 feet, is a sight never to 

 be forgotten. ^^ h. Taplin and F. L. Atkins. 



PLATTCLtNIS (Greek, broad bed: in allusion to the 

 clinandriuin). OreliidAcece. Plants with small, closely 

 crowded pseudobulbs, each with a single, narrow, ever- 

 green leaf. The flowers are borne in graceful, drooping 

 racemes 6-10 in. I.m-. TIi.-v ;,iv snuill ;,ii.I n..t >!,..« v, 

 but the thread-lik.- v.^nn,-- arrhiit- fi-Min :,i;m.i.l' ili'- 

 densely tufted lt.-.-h f"liii-.- l-ivi^ ili.^ |i]:ini- a ]il.:i-iit_- 

 appearance. .St'i'al- aii.l pt-taN -.i.ia-a.liiii.'; Ial..lliiiii :;- 

 lobed; column .-.hurt, with an irtct-tootlied clHiauilrium 

 and a large, narrow, erect wing on each side of the 

 clinandrium. About 20 species in India, China and the 

 Malay Islands. Heixrich Hasselbrino. 



PLATYCLINIS 



afford them satisfactory growing con litions They re 

 quire a liberal supply of water at the roots, with occa- 

 sional syringing overhead in bright weather when grow- 

 ing, and should never be allowed to remain long dry 

 even when at rest. The plants frequently produce side 

 growths from the old pseudobulbs, which may be re- 

 moved after the growths are matured, leaving three or 

 more of the old pseudobulbs attached to each piece, 

 thus increasing the stock. When no natural break 

 occurs, however, the plants may often be induced to 

 break by slightly twisting, or notching the rhizome 

 with a sharp knife, thereby retarding the flow of sap at 

 that point. Robert M. Grey. 



glum&cea, Benth. (DendrocMliim glumAceum, Lindl.). 

 Pseudobulbs crowded, forming dense spreading masses, 

 the young ones clothed with red scales: Ivs. solitary, 

 broadly lanceolate, tapering to a petiole which is en- 

 closed by the sheath: peduncle from the top of the 

 pspudobulb. slender, bearing a long, drooping spike of 

 ^inall white fls.: sepals and petals spreading, oblong, 

 a.niiiinatf: middle lobe of the labellum rotund, curved, 

 I. a-, with •_> rieshv ridges. Spring. Philippines. B.M. 

 4v-,:;. G.C. III. 18:552. 



aiiidrmis, Benth. (Dendrorhtlum mUirme, Lindl.). 

 Pseudobulbs crowded : Ivs. linear-lanceolate : flower- 

 stem thread-like, bearing a long, pendulous raceme of 



