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Platycerium bifurcatum (Cav.) C.Chr.

Staghorn fern

Native records: 7 botanical areas

Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Norfolk Is., 4 more areas

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Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

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Photograph of Platycerium bifurcatum

An epiphytic fern in the family Polypodiaceae native to eastern Australia, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, Java and Sulawesi. Its forked, antler-like fertile fronds give rise to the common name. Widely grown worldwide as a houseplant mounted on boards or logs.

Description

A truly epiphytic fern producing two distinct frond types. Sterile 'shield' fronds lie flat against the support, clasping the trunk or branch and accumulating humus and moisture. Fertile 'antler' fronds are erect to arching, repeatedly forked into narrow lobes that resemble stag antlers, with sori borne on their undersurfaces. It prefers bright indirect light and high humidity, and grows attached to tree trunks or branches rather than rooted in soil. The striking sculptural form has made it one of the most popular ornamental ferns globally.

Habitat

An epiphyte of moist forests in eastern Australia (New South Wales and Queensland) and Norfolk Island, extending to New Caledonia, Java and Sulawesi. It colonises the canopy of lowland rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest where humidity is high and light is filtered.

Distribution areas

  • Australia

    • New South WalesNative
    • Norfolk Is.Native
    • QueenslandNative

  • Colombia

    • ColombiaIntroduced

  • Indonesia

    • JawaNative
    • Lesser Sunda Is.Native
    • SulawesiNative

  • New Caledonia

    • New CaledoniaNative

  • New Zealand

    • New Zealand NorthIntroduced

  • Norfolk Island

    • Norfolk Is.Native

  • South Africa

    • KwaZulu-NatalIntroduced

  • Spain

    • Canary Is.Introduced

  • Taiwan, Province of China

    • TaiwanIntroduced

  • Timor-Leste

    • Lesser Sunda Is.Native

  • United States Minor Outlying Islands

    • HawaiiIntroduced

  • United States of America

    • HawaiiIntroduced

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
  • Af Tropical, rainforest
  • Aw Tropical, savannah
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • Am Tropical, monsoon
  • BWh Arid, desert, hot
  • Cfb Temperate, no dry season, warm summer
  • BSk Arid, steppe, cold

The same climate occurs in 230 areas worldwide, 218 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Recorded medicinal uses

The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.

  • Platycerium bifurcatum is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.681, right column, line 17

    World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715

    Open source

Other names

Staghorn fern、Elkhorn fern

Family
Polypodiaceae
Genus
Platycerium

Other species in Platycerium

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Australia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Colombia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Spain · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Indonesia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    New Caledonia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Norfolk Island · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    New Zealand · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Timor-Leste · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Taiwan, Province of China · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    United States Minor Outlying Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    United States of America · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    South Africa · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information