Cultivar
Platycerium 'Pegasus'
Pegasus
- Latin
- Platycerium 'Pegasus'
- Chinese
- 飛馬
- Japanese
- ペガサス
- English
- Pegasus
Pegasus is a staghorn fern hybrid, generally said in Taiwan to be a three-way cross of willinckii, bifurcatum and hillii. The name comes from its posture: fertile fronds that rise and then arch down like a winged horse. Nobody can say who made it or when. It is adaptable and often recommended to beginners, but as a hybrid it will not come true from spore.
Care notes
What the name refers to
Pegasus is a hybrid — neither a species nor a selection from within one. The usual account in Taiwan is a three-way cross with willinckii, bifurcatum and hillii in its ancestry. It is a trade name, not a registered cultivar.
Who made it, and when, cannot be traced. Japanese sources point to a Thai breeder, but we found no record of that person on either the Taiwanese or the Thai side, so we do not give a name.
What it looks like
The name comes from its posture: the fertile fronds rise and then arch downward, so the whole plant looks like a winged horse with its wings spread. The fronds are felted, pale green, with a slight blue-grey cast in good light.
Taiwanese sellers like to read the three parents in it: willinckii's tall crown, bifurcatum's fresh green and hillii's prominent veins. That is a seller's reading, and individuals vary a good deal, so treat it as a rough guide.
Why it is often recommended to beginners
Hybrids often carry their parents' vigour, and Pegasus is well known for being adaptable; it grows well on a lowland balcony in Taiwan. Give it plenty of light and good airflow and water as you would any staghorn.
When mounting, keep the growing point upward and the shield fronds balanced left and right, so new fertile fronds have room to rise and fall. For details see the mounting guide.
Sporelings of a hybrid
This is the one thing to know about Pegasus: it is a hybrid, so its spore produces segregating offspring. They will not all look like Pegasus; some lean towards willinckii, some towards bifurcatum. Why this happens is explained in why only the first generation counts.
So if you want a Pegasus that looks like the photo, buy a pup or a tissue-cultured plant with a clear source.
Three questions before you buy
- How was it propagated? A pup is the same individual as its mother; a "Pegasus sporeling" is really Pegasus's offspring, with no guarantee of its looks.
- Ask for a mature photo. Pegasus is defined by the posture of a mature plant, which a seedling does not show.
- What does the mother plant look like? Individuals vary widely, so see how the line you are buying grows up.
FAQ
What is Pegasus a cross of?
In Taiwan it is generally described as a three-way cross with willinckii, bifurcatum and hillii in its ancestry. But there is no reliable record of who made it, how it was crossed or when, so this is community consensus rather than a documented breeding record.
Is Pegasus good for beginners?
Yes. It is well known for being adaptable and grows well on a lowland balcony in Taiwan. Give it plenty of light and airflow and water as you would any staghorn. Mount it with the growing point upward so the fertile fronds have room to rise and arch down.
Will a Pegasus sporeling look like Pegasus?
Not necessarily. Pegasus is a hybrid, so its spore produces segregating offspring; some lean towards willinckii, some towards bifurcatum. For a Pegasus that looks like the photo, buy a pup or a tissue-cultured plant with a clear source.