Phlebodium is a beautiful deciduous plant from the genus Ferns in the family Centipedes. It is common in tropical and subtropical forests around the world, where it is a creeping parasite. In our country, it is grown in room and greenhouse conditions. Along with a beautiful appearance, the fern is famous for its healing properties and is a proven doctor.
Botanical Description
Phlebodium is an evergreen epiphytic plant. Its creeping rhizome clings to the trees and feeds on their sap. The roots are covered with brown scales and longer villi. The diameter of thick roots is 0.8-1.5 cm, and sometimes reaches 3 cm.
Leaves are located on petioles about 1 m long. They have a cirrus-dissected shape. Oblong lobes with wavy edges are painted in bright green or bluish color. The length of the sheet plate is 30-130 cm, and the width is 10-50 cm. The surface of the sheet is smooth, shiny. Each vaye has up to 35 small leaves. On the reverse side, relief, slightly reddish veins are visible.
Soruses (accumulation of spores) are located below on the leaf plate. They have a rounded shape and are painted in orange. As if small golden droplets scattered along the edge of a leaf.
Popular views
Fern phlebodium is represented by four species and several decorative varieties. The most widespread golden phlebodium. The plant is so named for the golden coating of the rhizome. At the very ground is a dense rosette of long leaves. The adult leaf reaches a length of 1 m. On a stiff long petiole there are deeply divided narrow lobes of green-blue or gray. On the edge of the lobes on the reverse side are bright yellow rounded sporangia.
Phlebodium pseudogold. Foliage is more dense and dark or bluish in color. Sporangia are located along the central vein in a row.
Phlebodium pimply. The bush is distinguished by long cirrus-dissected leaves of bright green color. Thin, leathery lanceolate leaves have a shiny surface. Rounded sporangia are located on the lower edge of the lobes.
Phlebodium decumanum. The plant forms a large sprawling bush 1-1.2 m high. The fleshy orange rhizome is partially located on the soil surface. Dark green glossy foliage is divided into unequal parts. On the reverse surface of the waya in 3-7 rows are teardrop-shaped orange sporangia.
Decorative varieties:
- Mandaianum - large unequal leaf lobes have a wavy edge;
- Ekstrand - often-dissected foliage with corrugated edges consists of a large number of shares;
- Blue Star - bluish-green leaves with a solid wavy edge are divided into 1-3 shares;
- Undulatum - vayi have large shares with a wavy edge;
- Glaucum - a miniature bush with gray wavy leaves.
Breeding
The phlebodium plant can be propagated by sowing spores or dividing the rhizome. Both methods are quite simple and effective. Spores ripen on leaves by mid-autumn. Vayu cut and gently clean off spores with a spoon on paper. Spores are sown in wide boxes with a wet mixture of sand and peat. You need to try to distribute the crops evenly on the surface of the soil. The container is covered with a film and put in a bright, warm place. After 1-2 weeks, the soil is densely covered with green sprouts. After a week, the seedlings need to be thinned so that the distance is 2-2.5 cm. Now the seedlings can be kept without shelter. At the age of 3-4 weeks, ferns can be planted in separate pots.
In spring, during a transplant, you can divide an adult bush into several parts. Each dividend should have 1-2 growth buds. The root is cut with a sharp blade and immediately planted in moist soil. This method allows you to quickly get a thick and high curtain.
Phlebodium transplant
It is advisable to transplant phlebodium annually, it is better to do this in early spring. The pot is selected the same or slightly larger. They try to clean part of the soil from the roots. The roots that were above the ground, and leave, do not need to deeply bury the plant in the ground. For planting use the land for ferns with the addition of pine bark and needles. Small pebbles and pebbles are laid at the bottom of the pot to prevent stagnation of water.
Care Rules
At home, caring for phlebodium is not very difficult. Even a beginner can cope with it. The plant needs to create conditions close to natural. Lighting should be bright, but diffuse. Putting the pot in direct sunlight is undesirable. However, with a lack of light, the foliage shreds, and the crown begins to thin. You can place phlebodium in the depths of the southern room, as well as on the windowsill of eastern or western orientation. In winter, it is necessary to use a lamp so that daylight hours last at least 12 hours.
The optimum air temperature for the plant is + 25 ... +28 ° C. In winter, you can lower the temperature to + 16 ... +19 ° C, but cooling below + 10 ... +12 ° C is fatal. It is important that the temperature changes gradually, sudden changes will lead to loss of foliage.
For a resident of the tropics, high humidity is important. The indicator should not fall below 50%. It is recommended to regularly spray the leaves, and use trays with wet expanded clay. If the house has an aquarium, it is better to put a fern next to it. With insufficient moisture both in culture and in natural conditions, phlebodium drops part of the leaves.
Water the fern often, but in small portions of water. The liquid should not stagnate, but the ground should always be slightly moist. Drops of water on aerial roots can cause decay. Better use ascending or wick irrigation.
From early spring to the onset of cold weather, fern is actively increasing its green mass and needs additional nutrition. Mineral complexes for green indoor plants are suitable. Twice a month, the fertilizer is diluted in water for irrigation and applied to the soil.
Phlebodium is resistant to diseases and pests. Only in rare cases can a scab be found on it. Timely insecticide treatment will help protect the shoots.
Using
Phlebodium is used to decorate the interior and make flower arrangements. Its lush greens will be a wonderful backdrop for flowering plants. In wide boxes you can grow a whole colony, which will fall in a beautiful cascade from the windowsill.
Do not forget about the healing properties of phlebodium. A decoction and infusion of its leaves and roots was used in folk medicine in the Mayan tribes. It is used for:
- strengthening immunity;
- fight against colds;
- stabilization of the heart;
- asthma treatment;
- normalization of emotional state;
- treating dementia and Alzheimer's disease;
- protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation;
- treatment of psoriasis.
