The many bird's nest ferns

The making of a bird's nest fern collection... proposed site

Asplenium nidus - removed from oil palm
temporarily nursed

 I would not have done justice to the oil palm ecology if I don't have a mega  bird's nest ferns collection at the park.  It is an ongoing project now to collect as many young bird's nest ferns from the oil palm trunks and re-group them in one location.  The oil palms produce ideal conditions for these epiphytic ferns and as such sourcing is of no real problem.  They grow here from spores that are blown by the wind.  It is at the sporophyte stage that we recognize the bird's nest fern by its tightly clustered leaves forming a funnel or 'nest'.  Among the Berawans of Sarawak, the slightly older leaves are heated for about 1-2 minute and applied to the area meant to cure cancer and tumour.  But for now we are focussed on making it an ornamental landscaping potential. 

Bird's nest fern growing in ideal conditions at Botanic Island One

Bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus)
Location : Botanic Island One

Young bird's nest ferns on oil palm, attached to the cut bases of oil palm leaves

Hot on heels on ferny trail (Part 4)

Bird's Nest Fern - Asplenium nidus
Location : Botanic Island Two

 The Bird's Nest Fern is seen in abundance at the park.  Young ones start life early at the rotting cut bases of the oil palm fronds from which they can be easily removed and nursed elsewhere.  However to see them hugging jungle tree trunks at low level is a prized reward when walking the jungle. I have seen many examples of these ferns used extensively and effectively as landscape plants.  They could be grown in big pots, grown on urban trees, arranged on ground in formal or informal settings.  Here's some more images to show their landscaping uses.... 

Young Bird's Nest Fern growing well on decaying cut bases of oil palm fronds
Location : Zone C

Asplenium nidus arranged in formal setting

Asplenium nidus on urban tree

Asplenium nidus in natural and informal setting..
Location : Botanic Island One

Hot on heels on ferny trail (Part 2)

View of Kambatik Park, from Zone G looking south - showing the yellow flushes of the 'Balem' tree.

Dragon scales 0r Duit-Duit (Malay)
(Drymoglossum piloselloides)

 We have tall trees at the park.  Been here for more than 60 years ago.  In such an environment there are lots of shade below the canopy and the trunks and barks of these trees are natural hangouts for the epiphytic ferns.  One such example is the Dragon Scales or what Malays call 'Duit-Duit' - literally to shown the shape of the leaves which resemble coins.  In Malay, duit means money and in this instance is small money, just coins.  This fern has adapted well to live on branches and its presence pave the way up for other ferns to create a community of ferns.  They could also be joined by other plantlife like the many varieties of miniature wild orchids (see picture below).

A small commuinty of ferns and wild orchids.
Location : Zone C

The cut bases of oil palm fronds are ideal places for ferns to grow because of its ample moisture trapped in the rotting fibrous medium.  In the above picture is shown the brownish roots of the Rabbit's Foot Fern that fixes itself on the rotting vegetative matter of the oil palm trunks. 

Disc Stag's Horn Fern ( Platycerium coronarium)

 An exotic looking fern that is easily found attached to tall trees at the park is the Disc Stag's Horn Fern (Platycerium coronarium).  Nowadays it is common to see them hanging on the branches of rubber trees,  old jungle trees in the forest or even in urban environments on wayside trees like Rain trees which are planted at car parks, open spaces and green lungs of the urban towns.

CU of the leaves of the Disc Stag's Horn Fern.
Location : Botanic Island One, Zone D.

A Fern trail for the park

Wild ferns for vegetables sold at Tamu or jungle produce market in Bintulu town.

Miding (Stenochlaena palustris)

 I am inspired today to start a new project called the 'Fern Trail'.  This trail will be about one kilometer long and will enable the  enthusiast to discover ferns on open spaces, valleys, hills, streams and jungle environments.  The list of vegetable ferns that grow naturally here is as below:
1) Stenochlaena palustris - Miding (Malay)
2) Diplazium esculentum - Paku Ikan (Iban)
3) Nephrolepsis biserrata - Paku Uban (Iban)
4) Helminthostachys spp. - Sumbok Gana (Iban), Tongkat Langit (Malay)
5) Blechum orientale - Paku Kelindang (Iban)

Besides the more popular vegetable ferns, other types of ferns could  be grown, transplanted and re-grouped in dramatic and interesting presentations.  There shall be established 5 fern stations along the trail and the biggest stations to assume a fernery.  The list of ferns to be transplanted or planted gradually are as follows:
1) Asplenium nidus - Bird's nest fern
2) Asplenium tenerum
3) Asplenium longissimum
4) Adiantum fabellulatum - Maiden's Hair
5) Athyrium esculentum
6) Blechnum orientale - Paku Ikan
7) Cyathea latebrosa - Tree fern
8) Davallia denticulata - Rabbit's Foot ern
9) Dicranopteris linearis - Resam
10) Drymoglossum piloselloides - Duit-Duit
11) Dipteris conjugata
12) Dipteris lobbiana
13) Gleichenia truncata
14) Platycerium coronarium - Disc Stag's Horn fern
15) Pityrogamma calomelanos - Silver Fern
16) Psilotum complanatum
17) Schizaea dichotoma - Grass Fern
18) Stenochlaena palustris - Miding

The fern trail project should keep me very busy for about three months from today.

Platycerium coronarium or Disc Stag's Horn Fern
Location : Botanic Island One, Zone D

Bird's nest fern - Asplenium nidus

Oil palm tree skirted with variety of ferns
Location : Zone C

Today's klikz - Bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus)