Lygodium microphyllum

Lygodium microphyllum
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Underside of spore-bearing leaflets, some leaflets produce spores; others don't.
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pteridophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida /  Pteridopsida (disputed)
Order:	Schizaeales
Family:	Lygodiaceae
Genus:	Lygodium
Species:	L. microphyllum
Binomial name
Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R.Br.
Synonyms
Lygodium scandens auct. L. scandens (L.) Sw. L. scandens var. intermedium Ces. L. scandens var. microphyllum (Cav.) Luerss. Ophioglossum filiforme Roxb. Ugena microphylla Cav. (basionym)

Lygodium microphyllum (commonly known as, variously, climbing maidenhair fern, Old World climbing fern, small-leaf climbing fern, or snake fern) is a climbing fern originating in tropical Africa, South East Asia, Melanesia and Australia. It is an invasive weed in the US States of Florida and Alabama where it invades open forest and wetland areas. The type specimen was collected in the vicinity of Nabúa, on the Island of Luzon in the Philippines by Luis Née.

Distribution

File:Lygodium microphylium distribution.PNG

Distribution of the Lygodium microphyllum

Lygodium microphyllum is native to Africa (in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania (including the Zanzibar Archipelago), Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa); Asia (in Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan of China, and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan); Australia (in Northern Territory, Queensland, northeast New South Wales, and northern Western Australia); and the Pacific Islands of Fiji, and Micronesia's Mariana Islands and Caroline Islands.

Lygodium microphyllum has become naturalized in the Caribbean and the southeastern United States.

Effects on the environment

Lygodium microphyllum causes problems in the environments where it is invasive. The plant damages wetland ecosystems, harming endangered species. The fern's ability to grow up and over trees and shrubs and to form dense horizontal canopies allows it to cover whole communities of plants reducing native plant diversity. Old World climbing fern can grow in many diverse ecosystem. Lygodium microphyllum poses problems for fires, both natural and man-made, because it can lead fire into the tree canopy killing trees. The fern is rapidly spreading in South Florida's public conservation lands.

Containment

Recently, the USDA approved the use of insects to keep the fern contained. These insects (Austromusotima camptozonale, Neomusotima conspurcatalis, and Floracarus perrepae) have been released in several state parks to control the fern. Though some populations were devastated by bout of cold weather. However, Recently, reports of new activity have been made.

Ethnobotany

Lygodium microphyllum has been used locally in folk medicine to treat skin ailments, swelling and dysentery.

External links

• Species Profile- Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum), National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library. Lists general information and resources for Old World Climbing Fern.

Bibliography

• Jeffrey T. Hutchinson, Kenneth A. Langeland, Gregory E. MacDonald and Robert Querns, 2010; Absorption and Translocation of Glyphosate, Metsulfuron, and Triclopyr in Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum). Weed Science 58:2, 118-125 Online publication date : 1-Apr-2010 (abstract)