Botanical Quiz

[Loddfafner]

Disa uniflora, an orchid that grows near streams and waterfalls in Cape Province, South Africa.

[Loki]

Disa uniflora, an orchid that grows near streams and waterfalls in Cape Province, South Africa.

Correct!

[Loddfafner]

What is this:

[Aemma]

It looks like a type of ivy (hedera)?

[Loddfafner]

It grows like ivy but is completely unrelated.

[Aemma]

Is it a climbing fern (Lygodium)?

[Skandi]

Virginia creeper? Parthenocissus quinquefolia

[Loddfafner]

Is it a climbing fern (Lygodium)?

You got the genus pinned down. Can you get the species and range?


Thrymheim, no it is not Virginia creeper, which is much more coarse and resembles poison ivy.

[Aemma]

Species Name:
Lygodium microphyllum Cav. R.Br.

Common Name(s):
Old World Climbing Fern, Small Leaf Climbing Fern

Synonymy:
Lygodium scandens (L.), Ugena microphylla Cav. R.Br.

Regional Occurrence:
L. microphyllum is believed native from Africa to Southeast Asia, Australia, and the islands of the South Pacific (Langeland and Craddock Burks 1998).

In Florida, Pemberton et al. (2002a) report that L. microphyllum is a common invader in wet habitats such as bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) stands, wet prairies, saw grass (Cladium jamaicense) marshes, Everglades tree islands and mangrove marshes. Upland pine flatwoods are also vulnerable to invasion as are disturbed habitats.

As of 2002, L. microphyllum was thought to be limited to approximately the southern one-third of Florida from Highlands County south on the Gulf coast and from Brevard County south on the east coast (Pemberton et al. 2002a). The species is particularly threatening to tree islands within the Everglades region where both the density and spread of L. microphyllum are steadily increasing (Ferriter et al. 2005).

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[Aemma]

Hmm perhaps it resembles Lygodium Japonicum a tad more??? Range: "India through eastern and southeastern Asia, extending to the Philippines (GRIN)."

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