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Lygodium japonicum

Common Name: Japanese climbing fern

Family: Schizaeaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 8a-11

Growth Habit: Vine (Fern)

Origin: Eastern Asia, temperate to tropical

FISC Category: 1

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: Yes

Introduction Date: 1930's

IFAS Assessment:

  • North: PROHIBITED
  • Central: PROHIBITED
  • South: PROHIBITED
Vegetative, sprawling habit of Japanese climbing fern
Robert Gundy
Fertile leaflets showing spores along leaflet margin.
Robert Gundy

Description

Perennial vine-like fern reaching up to 27 m in length. Fronds are compound and have indeterminate growth, reaching lengths of over 6 m. Stems are green, orange, or black and wiry, forming dense mats. Leafy branches (pinnae) from the main rachis are triangular in shape, 10-20 cm long. Leaflets lobed, stalked, with terminal lobes dissected, pubescent below. Fertile leaflets are contracted in shape and have two rows of sporangia along the inrolled leaf margin.

Habitat

Upland hardwood forest, floodplain forest, flatwoods, upland pine, swamps, marshes, slope forest, wet prairie, baygall, disturbed areas

Comments

Smothers native vegetation, especially tree seedlings. Similar to Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum), which has unlobed leaflets that are glabrous below.

Map of species distribution

Control Methods

  • Manual: NA
  • Chemical: 3% glyphosate per 100 gallons. Do not exceed 40 gallons spray solution per acre, imazapyr 50 oz/100 gal (~0.39%) (use only where appropriate relative to non-target species), imazapic 40 oz/100 gal (~0.31%). [IFAS]
  • Biological: NA

Control Notes

NA

References

Dave's Garden. 2014. PlantFiles: Japanese climbing fern, Lygodium japonicum. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/32029/. Accessed on June 23, 2014.

Langeland, K.A., H.M. Cherry, C.M. McCormick, K.C. Burks. 2008. Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas-Second Edition. IFAS Publication SP 257. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Langeland, K.A., J.A. Ferrell, B. Sellers, G.E. MacDonald, and R.K. Stocker. 2011. Integrated management of non-native plants in natural areas of Florida. EDIS publication SP 242. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

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