Plant of the day is: Dietes robinsoniana or wedding lily

Plant of the day is: Dietes robinsoniana or wedding lily

Definitely a looker of a flower.  Not actually one of the showiest of the genus (in my opinion), but I've got a few seedlings up so they're special to me.  It's been awhile since I gave a slot to a monocot, so ready or not...I'm terrible with rhymes.  

 Lord Howe Wedding Lily (Dietes robinsoniana) in the botanical garden of Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain.

Photo Credit: Quartl (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Definitely a looker of a flower.  Not actually one of the showiest of the genus (in my opinion), but I've got a few seedlings up so they're special to me.  It's been awhile since I gave a slot to a monocot, so ready or not...I'm terrible with rhymes.  

Di - Greek - meaning two

Etes - Greek - meaning affinities

Taxonomy, etc: Again, another very small genus of just 7 species.  Formerly placed in the Moraea genus (I see the resemblance for sure) BUT because they are rhizomatous ...new genus.  Moraea grow from corms.  Like  Moraea however, they have six free tepals that are not joined into a tube at the base (like an Iris would be).  Most species are found in southern or central Africa but have been very successful in naturalizing many different areas around the world including some already threatened habitats like Mauritius, Hawaii, and Jamaica.  Oh, it's in the Iridaceae family, if I didn't mention that.  Named after the Greek goddess Iris, of course, who carried messages from Olympus to earth along a rainbow which Linnaeus saw in the petals of many species.  Named after Sir Hercules Robinson by the way.  

Dietes robinsoniana Photographed at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne (Australia) in December

Photocredit: http://Gardenology.org (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Notice the label at the bottom that helps highlight just how large this foliage is.  Gives some of our Yucca a good run for their money.

Description:  Perennial monocot growing up to 1.5m high with a thick creeping rhizome and blue-green Iris-like leaves.  Leaves are linear about 100cm long and 5cm wide and a prominent midrib.  Flowers are white, fragrant, and up to 4 in in diameter.  Petals are ...3 actually, only 3 true petals.  Flowers have neat yellow nectar guides.  Each flower is similar to a daylily in that it is only open for one day. 

Dietes robinsoniana 101028-0114 Photo Credit: Tony Rodd (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Photo is a little dark but you get the idea how tall the scapes are compared to the foliage.

Habitat/culture:  Originally endemic to Lorde Howe Island.  This was a new one for me.  Found between New Zealand and Australia in a very small island group of about 28 island, islets, and rocks.  It wasn't actually discovered until 1788, which is notably late in the discovering of land thing.  Discovered by Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball, commander of the Armed Tender HMS Supply on it's way from Botany Bay.  It was actually a whaling outpost for some time :(.  Permanently settled in 1834.  Now the island exports kentia palms and is a phenomenal diverse and relatively unspoiled habitat with many endemic species.  Truly one of the few places on earth we haven't trashed.  About 70 percent of the island is protected by the Lord Howe Island Act of 1981 and the surrounding waters are also designated an island marine park.  Awesome stuff.  Boasts the worlds southernmost barrier coral reef.  I'm always fascinated by these tiny island and spits of land that are rarely taught and/or heard of.  Plant of the day will likely feature habitats and plants like this for awhile sometime in the future.  On the island itself, D. robinsoniana is found in the forest margins and is somewhat uncommon.  Prefers well-drained moist soils in sun to part shade.  This species definitely prefers moist, nutrient rich soils, but other member of the genus are drought tolerant but respond well to additional water (put on a bit more growth).  Not hardy or frost tolerant, don't even think it, this is a tropical species.  Also, these can take years and years and years to flower.  Many botanical gardens have waited many a year for these to flower.  I expect it will be a long time before I see them, here is hoping though.  Something to stick around for :).

Propagation: Vegetatively by dividing rhizome stuffs, pretty standard stuff there.  From seed, also quite easy.  I sowed seed in a standard potting mix in a small 4" pot and placed on mist until I saw the first seedling popping up.  Removed from mist and several more seedlings popped up.  Will pot up into larger containers when they get a bit larger.  

Plant of the day is: Hymenaea verrucosa or Zanzibar copal

Plant of the day is: Hymenaea verrucosa or Zanzibar copal

Also called the East African copal or amber tree.  Locally known as mnangu and mtandarusi.  Another tree, Byrsocarpus boivinianus, also shares the name of mnangu so...perfect example of why the binomial system is so important.  Looks pretty amazing when germinating, periscope up! (see below).  A pretty good sized seed and a beauty to see germinating.  Some of the things I'm growing lately are going to wind up quite large indeed if they stay alive :).

verrucosa: warty (more on that later)

Photo Credit: Justin Lee (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US)

Whoa, my what cotyledons you have!!

Taxonomy, etc.:  Hymenaea is another fairly small genus of around 23 or so species.  All but one species are native to the tropics of the Americas, with one other species found on the east coast of Africa.  This species right here!  It's the oddball.  Some taxonomists think that this species should be in its own monotypic genus, Trachylobium.  I wouldn't begin to weigh in on this one.  The genus was named by Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum for Hymenaios, the Greek god of marriage cerimonit ceremonies.  Somehow this references the paired leaflets, which ...to be honest is pretty common in legumes so ...well, whatever, he got to pick the name.  Leaves in the genus are pinnately bifoliolate and panicles in corymb inflorescence.

Fruits and seeds of Hymenaea verrucosa Photo Credit: Roger Culos (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The seeds were pretty cool.  You can see both the fruit and seed here.  Nice shot.

Description:  A flat-crowned evergreen tree, usually growing from 6 to 24 m.  Again leaves are bipinnate and hairless with leaflets ovate-elliptic.  A distinctive midrib has dark spots on the underside (neat).  Leaf margin is entire with a 1 to 3 cm petiole.  Flowers form in axillary and terminal panicles.  Flowers are small, and white, and in the typical legume fashion.  The fruit pods are ...well ...you can see above.  A neat feature is the small ring of hairs near the base of the fruit (see far right image).  Did I mention the warty resin bubbles on the fruit?  Yep, they harden and set when the fruit falls and that is why you get that interesting look in the seeds above.  This is what earns it the verrucosa title.  A very nice smoothish brown/red bark as well.  Very attractive really.  More info here.  In drier climates it will shed its leaves in the dry season (worth mentioning).  Also, it typically has a very clear bole quite a ways up with few low hanging branches.

Flowering branches Photo Credit: George E. Schatz (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Habitat/culture:  Coastal forests, woodland thickets, often on sandy soils.  Found throughout a good chunk of Kenya and South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles.  From what I can tell it exists in several different soil types to slightly drier to quite a bit wetter.  I have a feeling it would mind well drained soil.  Probably exists better in wetter areas due to the sand being more porous, just a guess.  Definitely full sun and happy with humidity.  A bit more info and pictures here.

Bonus:  Often harvested for its timber as well as for it's resin.  The genus in general has edible fruits as well and are a fairly common market food in the Americas.  In the 18th and 19th century the yellow resin was an important export from Kilwa to Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.  This was back when varnish was still made the ole fashion way and not synthesized.  

Plant of the day is: Trophis montana

Plant of the day is: Trophis montana

You can thank some of the fine botanists at the Missouri Botanical Garden for some of these fine images.  As far as I know, the only creative commons images available for the plant.  Not published all that long ago (1988).  I've got a few of these germinating, with somewhat cranky looking seedlings, I'm thinking too much water, but must investigate further.

Great list of identification pics can be found: here. Again, thanks MBG.  I highly recommend a look, there are some fantastic up close detail shots.  

Trophis montana (Leandri) C.C. Berg Photo Credit: Chris Birkinshaw (CC BY-NC-ND)

Taxonomy, etc.:  Trophis is a small genus of only about 9 species, six of which are Neotropical and three of which are Palaeotropical.  Trophis scandens is probably one of the more commonly noted species (seems to be easier to find pictures of it).  A fair few unresolved species in this genus, so I'm a little curious what will happen in the future of this genus.  It is in the Moraceae family, which includes the ever present Morus sp. or mullberry tree.  Like silk?  Thank this family, and that worm that evolved to enjoy it too.  Not a lot of backstory for the genus but the family is the mulberry or fig family.  The flowers of the Moraceae family are often pseudanthia (reduced inflorescences), a term I was not aware of.  Basically when individual flowers are tightly grouped together.  The individual flowers are called florets.  Sunflowers with their composite flowers of disk and ray flowers are a great example of pseudanthium.  Fun word.  In evolutionary terms, it may assist with the development of many flowers pollinated by one...we'll say mega structure that looks like one flower drawing in a pollinator.  Hopefully some of that made sense.  Basically evolution, it's a thing, regardless of what political candidates may tell you.  Used to be named Maillardia pendula in 1974 by Francis Raymond Fosberg but later changed when the Trophis and Streblus genera were remodeled.  

Trophis montana (Leandri) C.C. Berg Photo Credit: Fidy Ratovoson (CC BY-NC-ND)

Seems a good place for this, see that hot mess of clustered florets.  Pseudanthium.

Description: A slender tree, which reaches a height of about 10 meters with slender handging branches.  Leaves are alternate and elliptic to elliptic-oblong often narrowed sharply at the leaf tips.  Has a decent length petiole about 8mm long.  Looking at the pictures on the MBG image page I see a stark difference in leaf shape between a few of the pictures, a characteristic of the genus/species, or perhaps a subspecies?  I'll leave that to the botanists.  Flowers are borne in tight clustersThe fruit starts off more orange and does mature into a deeper red.  Despite what looks to be several florets clustered together, it appears that the fruit are typically borne singly or in pairs.  As I look at one image in particular I wonder if it is included correctly in this genus...can you spot the outsider??  Leaves have very tiny blink and you'll miss them stipules.  Moraceae have a tendency towards dioeciousness (now that's a word) so I'm guessing that they perhaps have separate male and female flowers at the very least.  Silly that a plant would be so difficult to get this information on...I'm sure it's there, but the dig.  The dig.

Habitat/culture:  As you can see from this map here, some collections in the north and central part of Madagascar, where it is endemic.  I'm still not really certain if it resides on higher, drier elevations or near lower, wetter areas.  Gets the Madagascar climate though which is an absurdly regular temperature and daylight cycle owing to its proximity to the Equator.  Not cold hardy for sure, hot and humid it likes.  What type of soil and water regimen?  I'll find out soon...

Trophis montana (Leandri) C.C. Berg Photo Credit: Charles Rakotovao (CC BY-NC-ND)

Odd facts:  Actually found some for this.  Check. This. Island. Out.  The second largest coral atoll in the world.  May or may not also be home to Trophis montana.  After destruction of vegetation on the island by goats (smooth) Francis Raymond Fosberg (see above) reported that the species is extinct there.  There may be a few plants still living in the Takamaka Grove on Grande Terre.  I offer myself as tribute to investigate this.

Plant of the day is: Delonix regia or flamboyant

Plant of the day is: Delonix regia or flamboyant

Flamboyant (Delonix regia ) Photo Credit: Mauricio Mercadante (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

A decidedly bright and chipper plant on these dark days of winter.  I'm a little enthralled with how large the cotyledons are as they emerge.  Truly an elegant seed as it germinates, gracefully arching.  Perhaps I'll try to snag a photo tomorrow to really show it.  How quickly will the cotyledons push up and expand?  What will they look like tomorrow?  These questions get my boots on in the morning.

Delonix regia, South Miami, FL, USA Photo Credit: scott.zona (CC BY 2.0)

Pretty much sums up my excitement.  Just look at that.  Beautiful.

Taxonomy, etc.:  I promise I don't have a thing for legumes.  Or maybe I do.  I probably do.  One thing I enjoy about them is their relative ease of germination (see below).  There are a lot of vivid colors and floriferous species in the family. with brilliant reds, yellows, purples, and everything in between.  Genus published by the famous William Hooker who was Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.  He was good friends with Sir Joseph Banks (James Cook!!) and his son Joseph Hooker later succeeded him as Director of Kew.  

Side note: Also have two species of Banksia germinating, which were named after Joseph Banks.  Really enjoying digging into the history of all these botanists a bit more, it helps paint the bigger picture I think.  D. regia is sometimes called the royal Poinciana ...which actually relates to the former genus that Delonix was in...so we should stop calling it that right?  It's a pretty small genus of only about 11 accepted species all native to Madagascar or east Africa.  The majority of them in Madagascar so a few are endangered or critically endangered.  D. tomentosa is only known from the one type specimen collected over 100 years ago.  It has not been seen since and is likely extinct. :(.  D. velutina and D. pumila are also endangered.  Other members have held up fairly well against the deforestation of the island but are becoming more scattered by the day.

Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) in full bloom in the Florida Keys

Photo Credit: Marc Averette CC BY-SA 3.0

Description:  Fun fact.  It was widely cultivated for some time before anyone knew where it actually came from until it was discovered growing in the wild in Madagascar in the 1930s.  Nifty.  Often considered one of the worlds most colorful trees.  I agrees.  D. regia is a tree typically reading 9 to 12 m with an arching umbrella-like canopy that can actually be wider than the tree is tall, a beautiful trait.  It is actually deciduous in climates with dry seasons but semi-evergreen in wetter year round climates.  Leaves are a nice feature and are alternate, light green, and feathery with opposite leaflets lacking stalks.  Leaves are minutely hairy on both sides.  At the base of the petiole are 2 compressed stipules with long, narrow, comblike teeth.  Now I'm getting excited to see the first true leaves (yay).  Flowers are obviously red in loosely arranged corymbs.  Flowers have 4 petals, typically red (though there is an orange cultivar...ouuuu), with whitish insides with red spots and streaks.  Fruit is your typically legume pod and seeds are very narrow almost elliptical.  I remember thinking the seeds felt and looked a little odd for a legume and I wondered how viable they were.  They were.  Anyways, it takes about 4 to 5 years to reach maturity (point in which it can flower).  A great description can be found at the worldagroforestry.org site.  Thought to be pollinated by sunbirds but more pollinator research would definitely help confirm this.  

Habitat/culture:  A tough and drought tolerant plant.  Likes sandy soils.  Found in the western dry forests of Madagascar.  While it is widespread throughout the world, and naturalized in Florida, Hawaii, and invasive in Australia, its native habitat is growing more fragmented by slash-and-burn agriculture, charcoal production, grazing, and bush fires.   Requires a lot of sun and, for best flowering should be grown a little on the dry side.  It does have some widespread roots that can damage pavement so maybe not the best street tree.  Like many plants of that area and southern Africa, it appreciates a dry period in the winter time.  Oh, definitely tropical, non hardy.  Better have a warm sunny spot and a lot of room if you want to try it indoors.  

Propagation:   Most members typically really on a physical dormancy in the form of a hard seed coat to delay dormancy, rather than underdeveloped embryos or inhibiting hormones (typically abscisic acid).  This physical dormancy can be overcome by nicking with a file (or toenail clippers...I'm telling ya, they're amazing), dipping in a strong acid (sulfuric), OR dipping in boiling water or soaking in near boiling water initially and then allowing to soak overnight in same water after it cools.  There are other methods of course, but those are the highlights.  I've been using the boiling method of late and I think it's a good method.  I either dip in boiling water for 5 seconds or do the aforementioned overnight soak.  I feel like there is a lower likelihood of damaging the seed by nicking or filing too deeply.  If there is still some dormancy left...I figure it'll just take longer to imbibe and germinate.  You can typically see if the seed has swollen up or imbibed, which is an indicator that you have punched through that seed coat.  If you didn't, you can always wait longer, the nice thing about a hard seed coat like that is that it is very difficult for pathogens to rot out.

Plant of the day is: Codariocalyx motorius or telegraph plant

Plant of the day is: Codariocalyx motorius or telegraph plant

Very excited to be growing these from seed.  These are a really unique and interesting plant that I have seen move (pretty nifty).  They are similar to solar panels with motors that align to the best angle of the sun to maximize energy uptake...except they don't do it with motors.  They ARE the motor.  One could say they are motoring.  Find out their price for flight below.

FIRST:  Watch this video!  It's fun.  You can really see those lateral leaflets a waggin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-fIKlcCbSU

Tozhuganni-shrub,leaves 3 foliate,lateral leaves very small,flowers pink.

Photo Credit: Yercaud-elango (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Taxonomy, etc.:  So this is another Fabaceae or legume.  It is actually sometimes referenced as a Desmodium, making it very closely related to the many Desmodium found here in Missouri.  You've probably taken some of this ones relatives home with you after a hike, hunt, or run through the woods.  Stick tights my dad used to call em.  The flowers/inflorescence look similar to Desmodium to be sure.  The treatment of Codariocalyx is potentially still up for debate.  Curious to see if enough people clamor loudly enough to stick it in Desmodium.  

Codariocalyx gyroides Photo Credit: Ks.mini (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The other species of the genus but you get the flowering idea.

Description:   Tropical Asian shrub and one of the few plants capable of relatively rapid movement.  Flowers are purple, leaves are trifoliate and lanceolate with the terminal leaflet much larger than the smaller lateral ones.  These smaller leaves move in periods of about 3 to 5 minutes and move on an elliptical plane and sample the intensity of the light.  As the hypothesis goes, moving leaves takes a lot of energy so these smaller leaves move independently of the large leaf, essentially sampling the sun for the right reading and then moving the larger leaves in place for optimal absorption of photons.  Another hypothesis exists that the movement deters predators.  I'd love to run a few trials :).  Described in detail in Charles Darwin's 1880 The Power of Movement in Plants.  In colder regions it is deciduous and goes through a dormancy, grows year round in warmer climates.  Grows to a height of around a meter, give or take a bit.  

Important to note that touching the plant does not make it move like Mimosa pudica (sensitive plant).  One of the REALLY cool things about this plant is that sound may make it move.  That's right.  Sound.  Particularly high pitch (high frequency) sound waves.  They move fast enough for the human eye to see ...though time lapse highlights the movement better.  The more they are exposed to sounds the more improved their "dancing", which leads to some speculation that they have a kind of memory.  Unlikely, but who knows.  Either way, fun stuff to ponder.  A lot of controversy about whether or not sound vibrations do make it move.  I really wanna get some tunes cranked into these and do some tests.  

Habitat/culture:  Found through a pretty broad range of China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam.  Not a particularly uncommon plant.  Prefers a fairly neutral pH between 6-7.5.  Like to dry out well between watering.  Can be in full sun if grown in clay...part shade to full shade if in a sandy or loamy mix.  If growing inside watch for aphids on young foliage and, confirmed personally, thrips.  Legumes are thrip magnets, they love em.    

Supplemental:  Movement is caused by swelling and shrinking of motor cells in pulvini at the base of the leaflets (same concept as Mimosa pudica).  Ion and water movements cause these changes across the cell membranes of the motor cells.  Also.  This plant is interesting in that it produces some tryptamine alkaloids ...DMT and 5-MeO-DMT.  Trippy stuff. 

Sometimes called the semaphore plant.  They used to use crazy light house like structures and cards to send messages across distances kind of like smoke signals...  A sempahore telegraph.  Check it out.

Codariocalyx motorius Photo Credit: പ്രശാന്ത്‌ ഇറവങ്കര CC BY 3.0

Plant of the day is: Kennedia beckxiana or Cape Arid Kennedia

Plant of the day is: Kennedia beckxiana or Cape Arid Kennedia

Back to Australia we go.  I've got a lot of Australian plants coming up, especially Fabaceae, so this is my opportunity to learn more and share it in the process.  Enjoy.

Kennedia beckxiana at Bergianska trädgården Photo Credit: C T Johansson (CC BY 3.0)

Taxonomy, etc.:  Not going to go into too much depth here really.  Clearly a member of the Fabaceae family and in the Phaseoleae tribe.  Even if the floral parts are a little elongated, they still look pretty pea-like.  And that trifoliate leaf and fruit are VERY leguminous.  Cracks me up a bit that leguminous doesn't get flagged but trifoliate does.  I hardly spell check any more due to the lack of botanical terms in the check.  If you see something goofy in here (more than usual) that is why!  Anyways, theplantlist.org lists 15 accepted species and a few more unresolved or still in review.  A pretty small genus and all of them native to Australia.  They are evergreen climbing plants with woody stems, usually with trifoliate leaves.  The genus is named after Étienne Pierre Ventenat after John Kennedy.  You remember Kennedy right?  The Vineyard at Hammersmith, London?  James Lee?  Again, small world in botany sometimes, can't avoid some of these connections.  The specific epithet honors Gustav Beckx, a 19th century Belgian consulate General in Australia.  Kennedia glabrata is listed as vulnerable under Australia's EPBC Act.  I recommend a peep at Kennedia nigricans as well, as it has stunning very dark purple-black flowers with yellow on the reflexed keels.

Kennedia beckxiana at Bergianska trädgården Photo Credit: C T Johansson (CC BY 3.0)

Looks like a legume to me!

Description:  As mentioned, an evergreen perennial woody vine that reaches about 3 m in height give or take a bit.  Leaves are alternate, trifoliate, ovate, and about 6 cm long.  Flowers are also about 6 cm long and appear in late Spring or early summer (which is September-December in Australia...you lucky folks right now).  Flowers are orange-red and are...the largest in the genus!!! Now that is a fun fact!  Well, it is for me anyways.  The flowers also have that showy lime-green central spot at the base of the reflexed keel petal (see below...I feel like it's telling me to "peace out").  Oh, I haven't read this but I'm pretty sure it's a twining vine.  That can be important if growing.  Quite important.     

Kennedia beckxiana 'Flamboyant' Photo Credit: FarOutFlora (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Habitat/culture:  The species comes from the Cape Arid and Israelite Bay region of Western Australia (east of Esperance) where it grows on granitic sand.  Prefers full sun and a well drained soil but can without stand a little bit of shade and a decent range of soil types.  Is actually a little bit frost tolerant, can handle temps a few degrees below freezing but not much.  A light to medium and brief freeze.  There is actually a somewhat available cultivar 'Flamboyant' available if you look for it.  Very drought tolerant when established and a nice niche in the vine world as it is not too large or aggressive of a vine.  In warmer climates I reckon it would make a great addition to fences.  In colder climates, will have to be overwintered for sure but may grow well in a decent sized pot with trellis. I should imagine it would be a thrip magnet (as I tend to see most legumes bring them in like hotcakes in a greenhouse).  

That's all folks.  Enjoy.

Plant of the day is: Pteris excelsa or waimakanui

Plant of the day is: Pteris excelsa or waimakanui

I've got some of these from spore just coming up with the first true fronds.  Hopefully I can keep them happy enough to get a bit larger.  I was looking into this fern a bit earlier today and figured I'd just keep the theme running.  I was actually looking into some other Pteris species found in Japan as well but this species does have a pretty large range into China (which is where my spores were collected).  Here is a nice video by botany boy with some great footage of Japan.

Pteris excelsa (Public Domain)

Trust me, it gets quite a bit larger.

Taxonomy, etc.:  Pteris is the type genus for Pteridaceae, which is a fern family comprised mostly of terrestrial or lithophytic (growing in rock) ferns.  The three most notable genera included in this family are Adiantum (the lovely maidenhair ferns my wife loves so much), Cheilanthes (lip ferns), and Pellaea (cliff brakes).  I'm also growing members of these genera from spores currently.  Pretty happy about it too :).  Phylogenetics may see some changes in this family over time, as there is some debate about some of the relationships between the type genus and other genera in subfamilies.  One neat (annoying) thing about this family is that the spores are formed on the leaf margins without indusium (think of a cap that protects the spores and when dried/matured it withers and releases them).  Instead, the leaf margin curls around them and protects them.  This sounds all well and good for nature, but what if you want to collect some of those spores?  Speaking from a recent Pellaea experience, rolling out dozens of tiny margins and prying them out is a time consuming process.  

2011 phylogenetic work puts the subfamiles as such:

Crptogrammoideae

Ceratopteridoideae (say THAT five times fast)

Pteridoideae

Cheilanthoideae

Vittarioideae

Fun fact:  Originally published in 1828 by Blume.  Illegitimately named by Gaudich. in 1829.  So close Gaudich...so close.  What's that?  You want to see the original publication.  Well, since you asked.  Courtesy of the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the New York Botanical Garden.  Good teamwork.  Click here for the text.

Pteris excelsa (habit. Location: Maui, Makawao Forest Reserve

Photo Credit: Forest & Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0)

Description:  Heaven forbid there be an easily found botanical description.  If you want a little bit of detail on similar Pteris check the botany boy video.  Otherwise, this is a tall evergreen fern (very tall actually) with two frond types or dimorphic fronds.  These means that it has what are called sterile fronds (non spore producing) and fertile fronds (spore producing).  You can see examples of this in other ferns like cinnamon ferns (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) and sensitive ferns (Onoclea sensibilis).  Wait, it's not Osmunda now?!  Ack.  Pesky taxonomists :).  Sterile fronds are twice pinnate (bi pinnate) with the terminal pinna that looks like a spear like pinnule (kind of visible from first picture but visible in botany boys' work).  About 150 cm long and 60 cm wide 150 cm is about 5 feet ...right?  They grow horizontal to the ground or up and arching.  The fertile fronds are much taller and very upright up to 240 cm.  That's nutters ya'll.  Almost 8 feet tall!  One frond.  Whew.  I feel over gasped.  Unfortunately there aren't any great photos of such a thing that I can find :(.  You simply must take a look at botany boys site just for the picture of the fiddle head or crosier covered in a heavenly pubescence.  It's a fantastic shot.

Habitat/culture:  These go pretty well together I think.  I'll probably make this a thing.  You can check out THIS MAP for a fairly well detailed distribution.  A fairly common and widespread fern throughout parts of southern Japan and China that even goes so far as to make some appearances in Indonesia and Hawaii.  Well collected in herbariums.  My particular spores were collected in China at Mt. Emei.  Let me google that for you.  Trust me, you'll be impressed.  Absolutely breathtaking.  May I always want to wander.  I have to think that the higher northern occurrences hitting Japan in zone 9 are near it's northern limit.  Sadly, I don't think it'll be hardy here in St. Louis, even with a few degree increase in the coming years.

Supposedly indigenous to Hawaii but vulnerable there.  Tick tock.

Pteris excelsa (sori). Location: Maui, Polipoli

Photo Credit: Forest & Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0)

Note the sori in the margins...