Basal frond of a Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum). In these ferns, these basal leaves press closely to the trunks of trees to help anchor the plant. They also collect falling leaf litter, which helps fertilise it.

This is one of my numerous alligator purchases: it looked so smol and cute when I bought it, but now it is a terrifying Krynoid that will soon need its own flat.

#Ferns #FernFriday #Platycerium #StaghornFern

Most of my outdoor ferns are starting to die back for winter, but indoors, this Staghorn Fern brings me joy.

Some recent work suggests that these ferns may be on the cusp of eusociality. They grow on tree with overlapping generations of adult plants in a colony. Some plants specialise in leaf-litter collection and reproduction, and some in water-storage. Not quite an ant or a mole rat, but getting there... https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3373 #ferns #FernFriday #Platycerium #StaghornFern