''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the

Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus on the classification of pteridophytes (lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relation ...

classification of 2016 (PPG I). Alternatively, the genus may be placed as the only genus in the subfamily Lygodioideae of a more broadly defined family Schizaeaceae, the family placement used in ''

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

'' .

Description

''Lygodium'' are unusual in that the rachis, or midrib, of the frond is thin, flexible, and long, the frond unrolling with indeterminate growth and the rachis twining around supports, so that each frond forms a distinct vine. The fronds may be from long, depending on the species.

Uses

''Lygodium'' species, known as ''nito'', are used as a source of fibers in the Philippines. The fibers are used as material for weaving, most notably of traditional salakot headgear.

As invasive species

Some ''Lygodium'' species are now considered very problematic invasive weeds in the southeastern United States. Populations of ''Lygodium'' have increased more than 12-fold over the past decade, as noted by Florida's

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a teaching, research and Extension scientific organization focused on agriculture and natural resources. It is a partnership of federal, state, and county governmen ...

. Japanese climbing fern (''

Lygodium japonicum ''Lygodium japonicum'' is a species of fern that is known by the common names vine-like fern and Japanese climbing fern. It is native to eastern Asia, including Taiwan, Japan, Korea, southeastern Asia, and India, and eastern Australia. The fern ...

'') was added to the Florida Noxious Weed List in 1999. It is also a major problem in pine plantations, causing contamination and harvesting problems for the pine straw industry. Old World climbing fern (''

Lygodium microphyllum ''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, Southeast Asia, Melanesia and Australia. It is ...

'') infests cypress swamps and other hydric sites, forming a monoculture. This massive infestation displaces all native flora and fauna, completely changing the ecosystem of the area. Plants in this genus have basal chromosome counts of ''n=28, 29, 30''.

Selected species

*''

Lygodium articulatum ''Lygodium articulatum'', commonly referred to as mangemange or Bushman's mattress, is a fern endemic to the North Island forests of New Zealand. Mangemange is an Endemism, endemic species and is unique compared to other ferns in the area due to ...

'' – New Zealand (North Island). *''

Lygodium circinatum ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pter ...

'' – Tropical Asia and Australasia. *''

Lygodium conforme ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – China. *''

Lygodium cubense ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pt ...

'' – Cuba, Hispaniola. *''

Lygodium digitatum ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – China. *''

Lygodium flexuosum ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – Southern China south to northern Australasia, Kerala(South India). *''

'' – Japanese climbing fern. Eastern Asia south to northern Australia. *''

'' ( Cav.)

R. Br. Robert Brown (21 December 1773 – 10 June 1858) was a Scottish botanist and paleobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope. His contributions include one of the earliest detailed ...

– Old World climbing fern. Africa, south Asia and Australia. *''

Lygodium microstachyum ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – China. *''

Lygodium palmatum ''Lygodium palmatum'' is the only species of its genus native to North America. Unlike most species in the genus, this one, called the American climbing fern (or Hartford fern, after Hartford, Connecticut), is extremely hardy in temperate zones ...

'' (

Bernh. Johann Jakob Bernhardi (1 September 1774, in Erfurt – 13 May 1850, in Erfurt) was a German doctor and botanist. Biography Johann J. Bernhardi studied Medicine and Botany at the University of Erfurt, and after graduation practiced medicine for a ...

) Swartz – American climbing fern. Eastern United States (rare, confined to acid soils). *''

Lygodium polystachyum ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – China. *''

Lygodium reticulatum ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – Australia, Polynesia. *''

Lygodium salicifolium ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – Southern China south to northern Australasia. *''

Lygodium subareolatum ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – China. *''

Lygodium trifurcatum ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – Tropical southeast Asia south to northern Australasia. *''

Lygodium volubile ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – Northern South America, Central America, Caribbean. *''

Lygodium versteeghii ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – Tropical southeast Asia south to northern Australasia. *''

Lygodium yunnanense ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' – Southern China.

References

External links

Flora of North America: ''Lygodium''
* *C.Michael Hogan. 2010
''Fern''. Encyclopedia of Earth. eds. Saikat Basu and C.Cleveland. National Council for Science and the Environment
Washington DC.
Flora of China: ''Lygodium'' species list
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2491168 Fern genera Taxa named by Olof Swartz