Live tree fern

[estación seca]

I bet you could find some spores online.

[voyager]

Last October, M'Lady and I took a hike up to Pu'u Maka'ala, a near to 5 mile round trip hike through a Hapu'u forest.

Pu'u Maka'ala Natural Area Reserve - Big Island Hikes

It was through a tree fern jungle, muddy, slippery, very enclosed by vegetation, easy to lose the trail, and had several short, steep pitches to get up and down through. But, it was quite beautiful to see in an eerie sort of way.

It is at 4 - 5k' in elevation.
So, the temps were quite tolerable.

We live in an area designated as being an Ohia/Hapu'u forest.
We have several small wild tree ferns growing in the undeveloped jungle areas of our lot.
Lately, I have noticed that several juvenile tree ferns are beginning to grow in several locations around in our yard area.
I am going to try nurturing them to help them survive and grow.
We'll see how it goes.
[I'll Get photos tomorrow and edit one into here.]

The next time I trim old fronds from our tame fern trees, I'll see if they might bear usable spores.
If so, if anyone is interested, I might be talked into mailing out 1st class envelopes with spore bearing leaves cut from the fronds in them.

Cibotium menziesii (Hapu'u)

[Ray]

I'm in...

[voyager]

What appears to be young tree ferns just getting started:


They are cropping up in a few other places also.

I'm beginning to think that my ID of my tree fern as a C. menzziesii was not correct.
Three Cibotium species are found in my area, C. chamissoi, C. glaucum and C. menziesii.
I'm beginning to think that C. glaucum may be the correct ID.
http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant...tium_chamissoi
http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant...botium_glaucum
http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant...tium_menziesii

Originally Posted by Ray

I'm in...

I began trimming older fronds off the two larger TF's today, checking the condition of the spores.
That's when I began to question the ID.

I found a total of 4 offshoots on the larger fern.
I'm going to have to cut it back soon.

I'm ready to take spore samples in the next few days.
Ray, PM an address to me where I can send the envelope with the spores.

[voyager]

OK, I've had two requests for tree fern spores.
I am getting them ready to send out in the next few days.
If anyone else is interested PM me.
I'll send them all out at one time.

I trimmed off the older fronds that were yellowing and browning up yesterday.
The boxlike cups [indusia] that hold the spores had turned brown and had opened up spilling most of the spores.
I chose another frond, the oldest where the indusia have not begun to open.
They are still a yellowish color.
As the pinnules dry out they should begin to open and release the spores.

In my trying to positively ID this TF, it get a bit confusing as they seem to contradict themselves and each other in describing and naming them.
My originally calling it a C. menziesii now looks to be wrong. I now think it is a C. glaucum.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry...um_glaucum.pdf