Climbing maidenhair fern, Snake Fern
Lygodium microphyllum

Family: Lygodiaceae

What it is like

A climbing fern which keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1-3 m long and spreads 30-90 cm wide. It has slender twining stems. The leaf is the climbing part. The stalk branches and produces 6-10 small fronds. The leaves are smooth fronds. They are divided into leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets are light green with short stalks. The leaflets are 6 cm long. The edges have fine teeth. The spores are produced on fertile leaflets which are smaller than the others. These ones have lobes on the edge. The slender, horizontal, underground stems are fleshy and brittle.

There are about 30 Lygodium species. They occur in the tropics and subtropics. The vines are used for weaving. It can be invasive. It is used in medicine. Also put in the family Schizaeaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It can grow in warm temperate regions. It grows naturally in monsoon forest near freshwater streams. It grows naturally in mountain forest. It can form thickets in swampy coastal country. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indochina, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Micronesia, Mozambique, New Caledonia, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, West Africa

How it is used for food

The fleshy underground stems have been recorded as eaten. The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

It is commonly used in NE Thailand.

Edible parts

Leaves, fronds, shoots, rhizomes, root, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from layers or less commonly from spores.

It can grow very quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Lota dhekia, Kishor kosak, Ribu-ribu, Sama-hondo

Synonyms

Lygodium scandens Swartz.; Ophioglossum scandens L.; Ugena microphylla Cav.;