The Platycerium Variant from Mount Lewis, Australia

Abstract. The Platycerium plants circulating amongst hobbyists and growers under the common name Platycerium ‘Mount Lewis' is the same plant as the cultivar known as Platycerium ‘Venose Frond’, or, as it was later called, Platycerium willinckii var. venosum. This plant also shares the trait of raised major veins with P. bifurcatum var. lanciferum, described in 1915. Morphological and molecular comparisons of this plant were made with members of the P. bifurcatum complex, particularly with P. bifurcatum and P. willinckii, to determine its true identity. We conclude that Platycerium ‘Mount Lewis’ is a variant of P. bifurcatum.