science

Lygodium microphyllum

Lygodium microphyllum is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lygodium microphyllum rather than just read about it. In short: 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. It is an invasive weed in Florida where it invades open forest and wetland areas.

Key takeaways

Lygodium microphyllum belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lygodium microphyllum to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lygodium microphyllum from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

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. It is an invasive weed in Florida where it invades open forest and wetland areas. The type specimen was collected in the vicinity of Nabúa, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines by Luis Née.

Distribution Lygodium microphyllum is native to much of tropical Africa and South Africa; tropical Asia, including China, Ryukyu Islands of Japan; Australia; Fiji, the Mariana Islands and Caroline Islands. Lygodium microphyllum has become naturalized in the Caribbean and South Florida.

Effects on the environment Lygodium microphyllum causes problems in the environments where it is invasive. The plant damages wetland ecosystems, harming endangered species. The ferns ability to grow up and over trees and shrubs and to form dense horizontal canopies allows it to cover whole communities of plants, reducing native plant diversity. Old World climbing fern can grow in many diverse ecosystems. Lygodium microphyllum poses problems for fires, both natural and man-made, because it can lead fire into the tree canopy, killing trees. The fern rapidly spread in South Florida's public conservation lands.

Containment Recently, the USDA approved the use of insects to keep the fern contained. Insects (Austromusotima camptozonale, Neomusotima conspurcatalis) and mites (Floracarus perrepae) have been released in several state parks to control the fern. Although some populations were devastated by a bout of cold weather, recently, reports of new activity have been made.

Ethnobotany Lygodium microphyllum has been used locally in folk medicine to treat skin ailments and problems, swelling and dysentery.

Other uses Lygodium microphyllum fibers (as well as other species of Lygodium), known as nito, are used to weave traditional salakot hats in the Philippines.

References

Further reading Jeffrey T. Hutchinson, Kenneth A. Langeland, Gregory E. MacDonald and Robert Querns, 2010; Absorption and Translocation of Glyphosate, Metsulfuron, and Triclopyr in Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum). Weed Science 58:2, 118-125 Online publication date : 1-Apr-2010 (abstract)

External links Pemberton, Robert W.; Ferriter, Amy P. (1998). "Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum), a Dangerous Invasive Weed in Florida". American Fern Journal. 88 (4): 165–175. doi:10.2307/1547769. ISSN 0002-8444. JSTOR 1547769. Species Profile - Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum), National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural Library. Lists general information and resources for Old World Climbing Fern. "Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum), a Dangerous Invasive Weed in Florida," American Fern Journal Vol. 88 No. 4 (1998) Fleshler, David (15 June 2018). "Killer fern overruns refuge; agencies fight back". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 2020-05-11.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lygodium microphyllum

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lygodium microphyllum claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lygodium microphyllum before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lygodium microphyllum ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lygodium microphyllum

In research: Lygodium microphyllum appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lygodium microphyllum in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lygodium microphyllum is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ferns of Africa, Ferns of Asia, Ferns of Australasia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lygodium microphyllum outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lygodium microphyllum in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lygodium microphyllum means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lygodium microphyllum out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lygodium microphyllum in simple terms?

Why does Lygodium microphyllum matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lygodium microphyllum?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lygodium microphyllum.