''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 an invasive weed in Florida where it invades open forest and wetland areas. The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes th ...

was collected in the vicinity of Nabúa, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines by Luis Née.

Distribution

''Lygodium microphyllum'' is native to much of tropical Africa and South Africa; tropical Asia, including China,

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonagun ...

of Japan; Australia; Fiji, the Mariana Islands and

Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the centra ...

. ''Lygodium microphyllum'' has become

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

in the Caribbean and

South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of ...

Effects on the environment

''Lygodium microphyllum'' causes problems in the environments where it is invasive. The plant damages wetland ecosystems, harming endangered species. The ferns 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 ecosystems. ''Lygodium microphyllum'' poses problems for fires, both natural and man-made, because it can lead fire into the tree canopy, killing trees. The fern rapidly spread in South Florida's public conservation lands.

Containment

Recently, the USDA approved the use of insects to keep the fern contained. Insects (''

Austromusotima camptozonale ''Austromusotima camptozonale'', the climbing maidhair pyralid moth, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is native to Australia, but attempts have been made to introduce it to southern Florida as a biological control agent for Old World climbi ...

'', '' Neomusotima conspurcatalis'') and mites (''

Floracarus perrepae ''Floracarus perrepae'' is a species of herbivorous mite belonging to the family Eriophyidae. It is native to Australia (Queensland), China and New Caledonia. As it is known to attack and eat the invasive fern species ''Lygodium microphyllum' ...

'') have been released in several state parks to control the fern. Although some populations were devastated by a bout of cold weather, recently, reports of new activity have been made.

Ethnobotany

''Lygodium microphyllum'' has been used locally in

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

to treat skin ailments and problems, swelling and

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

Other uses

''Lygodium microphyllum'' fibers (as well as other species of '' Lygodium''), known as ''nito'', are used to weave traditional

salakot Salakót is a traditional lightweight headgear from the Philippines that is commonly used during pre-colonial era up to the present day, used for protection against the sun and rain. Every ethnolinguistic group in the archipelago has their own ...

hats in the Philippines.

References

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.
"Old World Climbing Fern (''Lygodium microphyllum''), a Dangerous Invasive Weed in Florida,"
''American Fern Journal'' Vol. 88 No. 4 (1998) *

'' South Florida Sun Sentinel, 2018

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
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5235063 microphyllum Ferns of Africa Ferns of Asia Ferns of Australasia Plants described in 1801 Flora of Africa Flora of tropical Asia Flora of Australia Flora of China Flora of Fiji Flora of Japan Flora of the Ryukyu Islands Flora of the Northwestern Pacific Flora of Taiwan Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles