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

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

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

Common name(s): [more details]

English: climbing maidenhair fern, Old World climbing 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:  "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 (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) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	native	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 2)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	native	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (1997) (p. 2)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fiji Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Bora Bora Island	native	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 139) As Lygodium macrophyllus (Cav.) R. Br.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	native	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 139) As Lygodium macrophyllus (Cav.) R. Br.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	native	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 139) As Lygodium macrophyllus (Cav.) R. Br.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	native	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 139) As Lygodium macrophyllus (Cav.) R. Br.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	native	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 139) As Lygodium macrophyllus (Cav.) R. Br.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	native	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 56) As Lygodium scandens
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. (1996) (p. 14)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 21) Voucher: Lorence 9908 (BNM, PFBG)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Peleliu Island	native	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 21) Voucher: Lorence 9760 (BNM, PTBG)
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. (2009)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
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. (2009)
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Negara Brunei Darussalam Brunei	Brunei (Negara Brunei Darussalam)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

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 and Florida) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009) "Naturaized in the southeastern United States and West Indies".
United States (continental except west coast and Florida) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2009) Listed by the states of Florida and Alabama as a noxious weed.

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.

Control:  Control information from the Global Invasive Species Database.

Additional information:
Plant profile from the Global Invasive Species Database.
Information from Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States.
Fact sheet from Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas.
Species profile from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Invasive Species Information Center.

Additional online information about Lygodium microphyllum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Lygodium microphyllum as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Lygodium microphyllum may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

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

References:

Fosberg, F. R. 1997. Preliminary checklist of the flowering plants and ferns of the Society Islands. Ed. by David R. Stoddart. U. Cal. Berkeley.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 1997. Checklist of the plants of Yap. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 21 pp.

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 40:1-69. .

Raulerson, L./Rinehart, A. F./Falanruw, M. C. 1996. A botanical reconnaissance of the proposed Compact-impact road alignment on Babeldaob Island, Republic of Palau. U. of Guam Herbarium Cont. No. 32. 78 pp.

Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie. 2009. Report to the Republic of Palau: 2008 update on Invasive Plant Species. USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai‘i. (In press).

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2009. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2009. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.