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Whisk-fern
Psilotum nudum
Psilotaceae
 

Copyright by: George D. Gann

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Availability: Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.

Description: Small herb, terrestrial or epiphytic.

Dimensions: About 6-12 inches in height. Usually taller than broad in small patches.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Southern United States west to Arizona and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America and Old World. Very rare in the Monroe County Keys and perhaps absent from the middle Keys.

Plant Map Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.

 Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.

Habitats: Moist forests and swamps.

Soils: Epiphytic; or terrestrial in moist, well-drained humusy leaf litter, acid to neutral pH.

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow on nutrient poor substrate, but needs some nutrient inputs to thrive.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.

Drought Tolerance: Moderate; requires moist substrate and high humidity to thrive.

Light Requirements: Light shade.

Flower Color: N/A.

Flower Characteristics: There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores.

Flowering Season: All year.

Fruit: Inconspicuous spores.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.


Copyright by: George D. Gann

Copyright by:

Copyright by: George D. Gann

Copyright by: Shirley Denton

Copyright by: Shirley Denton

Copyright by: Shirley Denton

Copyright by: Joe Montes de Oca via iNaturalist.

Copyright by: Joe Montes de Oca via iNaturalist.


Other data on Psilotum nudum available from:



 
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