Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R.Br., Lygodiaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Reject, score: 15 (Go to the risk assessment (Florida (U.S.))).
Moderate to moderate-high risk (Go to the risk assessment (United States)) (PDF format).

Other Latin names:  Lygodium scandens auct.; Ugena microphylla Cav.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Old World climbing fern, climbing maidenhair fern, small-leaf climbing fern

Palauan: osuchedechui

Habit:  fern

Description:  "Stems creeping. Leaves to ca. 10 m. Petioles borne 2-5 mm apart, 7-25 cm. Sterile pinnae on 0.5-1.5 cm stalks, oblong, 1-pinnate, 5-12 x 3-6 cm; ultimate segments triangular-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, truncate to shallowly cordate or somewhat auriculate proximally, usually not lobed, but if lobed, lobes rounded at apex and not directed toward leaf apex; segment apex rounded-acute to obtuse; segments articulate to petiolules, leaving wiry stalks when detached; blade tissue glabrous abaxially. Fertile pinnae on 0.5-1 cm stalks, oblong, 1-pinnate, 3-14 x 2.5-6 cm; ultimate segments ovate to lanceolate-oblong, fringed with fertile lobes, otherwise similar to sterile segments" (Flora of North America).

Habitat/ecology:  "Freshwater wetlands, cypress swamps, forests, mangrove swamps, wet grassland.  A fast-growing fern that is native in wet tropical and subtropical regions.  Where invasive, it smothers the native vegetation by climbing high into and over the crowns of shrubs and trees.  It also grows horizontally on the floor and the numerous fronds build thick mats that completely smother whole plant communities and cover the ground.  Tall infestation by this fern can be a fire hazard because the dry dead fronds are flammabile and carry fires into the canopies of trees"  (Weber, 2003; p. 252).

"Lygodium microphyllum is native to southeastern Asia and recently naturalized [in the United States]. The species may be very abundant locally and may climb to a height of 9 meters in trees. Sometimes it forms thick mats covering considerable areas at ground level" (Flora of North America).

Propagation:  Spores

Native range:  Southeastern Asia, extending into the western Pacific; also cultivated and naturalized (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	native	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 2)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Saipan	Saipan Island	native	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 2)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	native	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2008) (p. 2)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fiji Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	native	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 56) As Lygodium scandens
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. (1996) (p. 14)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 21) Voucher: Lorence 9908 (PTBG, BNM, NY, UC, US)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2008) (voucher ID: PTBG 201) Taxon name on voucher: Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R.Br.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2007) (voucher ID: PTBG 48164) Taxon name on voucher: Lygodium microphyllum
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Peleliu (Beliliou) Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 21) Voucher: Lorence 9760 (PTBG, BISH, BNM, NY, US)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Peleliu (Beliliou) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2008) (voucher ID: PTBG 52) Taxon name on voucher: Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R.Br.
Palau Rock Islands (Chelbacheb)	Aulupse‘el (Ulebsechel) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 94)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Western Australia
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Negara Brunei Darussalam Brunei	Brunei (Negara Brunei Darussalam)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 57) Common
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Comments:  This species, while native to parts of the Pacific, can be weedy in taro patches and other agriculture and should not be introduced to islands where it is not already present.

Planting of this species is prohibited in Miami-Dade County, Florida (U.S.) (Miami-Dade County Dept. of Planning and Zoning, 2010).

Control:  Control information from the Global Invasive Species Database.

Physical:  'Manual removal is labor intensive".

Chemical:  "Herbicide may be applied to the foliage; follow-up applications are necessary to treat regrowth"  (Weber, 2003; p. 252).