Taiwan Ferns FDCs

Taiwan FDCs
Name: Ferns
Date of Issue: 26 November 2009
Number: Sp. 536

Taiwan has among the highest density of ferns in the world and has been touted as the Kingdom of Ferns. To introduce the beauty of ferns, Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet featuring Asplenium nidus, Cyathea spinulosa, Cyathea lepifera, and Cibotium taiwanense.

Denominations:
NT$5.00: Asplenium nidus (臺灣巢蕨)
Commonly known as the bird's-nest fern in English, its long slender fronds are layered and form a nest-like clump at its short fat rhizome. It is a large epiphytic fern and can usually be found growing on tree trunks. It is a common ornamental garden plant.

NT$9.00: Cyathea spinulosa (臺灣桫欏)
The plant is commonly known as the Taiwan tree fern in English. Its trunk is about five meters high, and its fronds are oval-shaped. New green fronds are upright and radiate from the crown, while the old fronds bend downward to form a leave skirt. This shade tolerant tree is common in mid- and low-elevation regions of the island.

NT$12.00: Cyathea lepifera (筆筒樹)
This fern is known as the common tree fern in English. It usually produces a single straight trunk up to a height of eight meters. Its fronds are large and form a clump at the crown. When an old frond falls, it will leave an obvious mark on the trunk where it once attached. It is a representative tree species in the subtropical areas of Taiwan.

NT$25.00: Cibotium taiwanense (臺灣金狗毛蕨)
This fern’s short, thick rhizome is densely covered with golden hairs and bears a crown of fronds. The base of its pinna is asymmetrical, and there are two to three pinnules less on the side closer to the ground. This terrestrial plant can only be found in Taiwan.

This set of stamps is printed in intaglio in combination with offset, and the effect is simply exquisite.