APHIS issues climbing fern quarantine

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Plant Protection and Quarantine issued a federal quarantine that restricts the importation of Lygodium microphyllum (Old World climbing fern) and L. flexuosum (maidenhair creeper). The restrictions apply to any parts capable of propagation, including spores and leaves (fronds).

L. microphyllum occurs in Florida where it is damaging habitats for federally listed threatened and endangered species in the Everglades National Park, National Wildlife Refuges and other areas. Native to Asia and Australia, Old World climbing fern climbs into trees and shades out native vegetation.

L. microphyllum is a Florida state noxious weed. The uninfested areas of Florida, and coastal regions of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi are at risk from L. microphyllum infestation.

L. flexuosum, a weed of rice, plantation crops and natural lowland vegetation in eastern Asia, is not known to occur in the United States. It has the potential to cause serious environmental and economic damage in the southernmost areas of the United States.

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For more: Polly Lehtonen, APHIS, (301) 734-4394; polly.p.lehtonen@aphis.usda.gov.

August 2008