Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw.

Rhizome short-creeping and densely covered with roots, the stipes very close together; apex of rhizome covered with dark brown to nearly black hairs. Juvenile fronds once or twice dichotomous, each branch bearing a single leaflet which is deeply palmately 3-7-lobed, the lobes almost equal, the base of the whole leaflet cordate, edges serrate and sometimes crenately lobed. Rachis of scandent fronds narrowly winged, flattened and puberulous on the upper surface between the wings; primary rachis-branches up to 3 mm long (lower ones longest), dormant apex covered with pale brown hairs; secondary rachis-branches pinnate to somewhat bipinnate, narrowly ovate to deltoid in outline, commonly about 15 cm long and 8 cm wide; sterile leaflets of lower branches palmate, often 5-lobed, base strongly cordate; higher secondary branches bearing 3-5 (sometimes to 7) leaflets on each side and an apical one, the apical and lower leaflets asymmetric or more or less lobed at the base, the lowest often with 2 or 3 (exceptionally to 6) separate quaternary leaflets at its base; sterile leaflets 3-10 cm long, 8-15 mm wide above the lobed base, apex subacute, edges serrate, lower leaflets stalked, upper sessile, lamina rather thin; costae usually bearing scattered long hairs, less often densely short-hairy, veins often with scattered short hairs on the lower surface, the lamina sometimes similarly hairy; fertile leaflets smaller than sterile, sorophores 3-5 mm long (rarely up to 10 mm), at the apices of small triangular lobes; indusia glabrous or with a few hairs like those of the lower surface of the lamina; spores finely verrucose.

In open places, climbing on shrubs, in teak and bamboo forest, in low country and to 1000 m, not in shady evergreen forest. In very dry or exposed places the veins and lamina are often rather copiously hairy.

The leaves are eaten as a vegetable. The roots are dried, powdered and used to flavour local fermented drinks.