The Staghorn fern (Platycerium superbum) is native to lowland rainforests in Queensland and northern New South Wales. It is an epiphyte (growing on trees) or occasionally a lithophyte (growing on rocks). Although the fern can look like a tangle of antlers at first, on closer inspection one can see the impressive nest frond which can be 1 meter across at maturity. This nest frond is designed to collect falling leaves and insects. These give the fern a valuable source of potassium and calcium, nutrients required for the production of their large fronds. It is from this frond that the fern attaches itself to the host tree. It protectively wraps around the rhizome and short roots, clasping onto the furrows in the bark with root like structures. Topaz, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, tropical northern Australia.