Lygodium microphyllum (Cav). R.Br.
Old World Climbing Fern / Ribu-ribu (Bru.)
Description
Traditional Medicinal Uses
Ecology
Propagation
Distribution
Precaution
Terrestrial or perennial climber that can climb up to 27 m tall. Leaves are alternately arranged, glabrous and light green. The young leaves are small, bearing 4 lobes with distinctly winged stipe. Stalks are thinly creeping and narrowly winged at the upper part. Sterile leaflet blades are oblong-lanceolate, broadly truncate to shallowly cordate at base with toothed margin. Fertile leaflet blades are shortly ovate to lanceolate-oblong. Rhizomes are widely creeping, branching, densely clothed with short brown-black hairs. Sporangium borne on narrow, finger-
Root decoction is used to relieve asthma, headache, tuberculosis and rheumatism. The leaves are made into a poultice to treat sores and boils. Leaf extract exhibits anticancer and
It thrives in coastal areas, secondary wastelands, along riversides and on hillsides. It prefers fertile sandy clay soil under full sunlight.
Seeds.
Native from Africa to Southeast Asia, Australia, and the islands of
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