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Old World Climbing Fern

Ferns and Fern Allies

The Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum, is a species of fern native to tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, Melanesia and Australia, distinguished by long, vining fronds that climb over other vegetation rather than growing upright. Introduced to Florida, it has become an aggressive invasive weed there, smothering open forest and wetland habitats by forming dense mats over native plants.

Facts

Classification

Diet

Photosynthetic Autotroph 1

System (Realm)

Terrestrial 2

Relationship to People

Invasive or Introduced Species 3

Living or Extinct

Yes 4

Comparison

NatureServe Rank

G5 Secure 5

CITES Appendix

Not Listed 6

Scientific Name

Lygodium microphyllum 7

Conservation Status

Least Concern 3

Connections

Child Taxon Of

Source Lygodium microphyllum (Wikidata)

In Biome

Source Lygodium microphyllum (Wikidata)

In Ecosystem

Source Wikidata: Red Mangrove

Additional Source Everglades (Wikipedia)Article text

In the Other Atlases

Found In

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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Central African Republic

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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Equatorial Guinea

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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources

1. Lygodium microphyllum (Wikipedia)

Lead, sentence naming the group it belongs to

Quote, Lead, sentence naming the group it belongs to

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.

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2. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (species profiles): Species profiles of Lygodium microphyllum

GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (species profiles)system profile

Quote, system profile

"habitat": "terrestrial"

View the Source

3. Old World Climbing Fern (Wikipedia)

an invasive weed in Florida where it invades open forest and wetland areas
infobox status=LC

View the Source

4. GBIF Species API

GBIF Species APIView the Source

5. NatureServe Explorer: Lygodium microphyllum

NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)

Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)

"roundedGRank": "G5"

View the Source

6. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Plantae

UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 45

Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 45

"cites_listing":"I/II/III/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/C/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Plantae","phylum":null,"class":null,"order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Plants","language":"EN"},{"name":"Flora","language":"EN"}],"cites_listings":[]

View the Source

7. Lygodium microphyllum (Wikidata)

Wikidata

Wikidata Q5235063 (P225 taxon name)
Statements section, conservation status (P141)
IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
Child Taxon Of: Pteridophyta, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
In Biome: Wetlands, Introduction

View the Source

Plant (Wikipedia)

Lead, whole group is photosynthetic

Quote, Lead, whole group is photosynthetic

They are predominantly photosynthetic or came from photosynthetic ancestors, meaning that they obtain their energy from sunlight by using the green pigment chlorophyll in their chloroplasts to produce sugars from carbon dioxide and water.

View the Source

Everglades (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem: Everglades, Article text

Quote, In Ecosystem: Everglades, Article text

The Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum) may be causing the most harm to restoration as it blankets areas thickly, making it impossible for animals to pass through.

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