This is a fantasy plant, and is represented solely as an artistic, fantasy specimen. This is a hobby for me, and I enjoy making species that don’t actually exist, but could.
Adiantum Pseudodecursiva “Burgundy Tail Fern”
A. Pseudodecursiva;
Epiphytic by nature, Adiantum Pseudodecursiva is said to cling to towering trees, deriving nutrients from the moisture-laden air and organic debris that accumulates in its arboreal abode. Its burgundy foliage, contrasting against the backdrop of the rainforest.
Entemologists who have had the opportunity to study this plant believe this plant has several pores on the underside of its leaves that hold onto pheromones excretes by insects in order to attract pollinators for the plants tiny pink blooms that appear on the underside of the plant, hidden from plain sight.
It is believed this plant begins its life in the mid to upper canopy, sprawling 1-2 feet in length.
The last reported sighting of A. pseudodecursiva was in the Amazon rainforests roughly 40 miles southwest from the city of Manaus. Where highway expansion is decimating local wildlife.
One of the greatest threats to the Brazilian Amazon is the reconstruction and paving of the formerly abandoned Highway BR-319, which would link one of the most conserved blocks in the Amazon forest to the “arc of deforestation” on the southern edge of the region where most forest has already been destroyed. (1)
(1) Ferrante et al. 2021 “Brazils Highway BR-319: The road to the collapse of the Amazon and the violation of indigenous rights.”
Protecting our rainforests is as important as ever to make sure plants like this make it into the future. Using AI, we can now interpret plants that may have existed but are now extinct, or could still be out there at risk or becoming one of the nearly 137 species that are driven to extinction every day.
I find that it is easier for people to take notice of the harm that arises from deforestation when they can visually imagine the damage occurring. Anyone can throw statistics at someone, but showing the possible beauty that is at risk daily tends to open eyes a bit more. I hope that by following my series of 137 fantasy plants and stories, you’ll appreciate more than ever the 137 unidentified and lost species every day from deforestation. I strive to provide fictitious stories that still contain real facts, maps, and prominent figures, and research. These stories are not real, but the years of deforestation are accurate, as is any satellite imagery or charts.