Ophioglossum vulgatum

Ophioglossum vulgatum, commonly known as adder's-tongue,[1] southern adder's-tongue or adder's-tongue fern, is a species of fern in the family Ophioglossaceae.[2]

Ophioglossum vulgatum

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Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Ophioglossales
Family: Ophioglossaceae
Genus: Ophioglossum
Species:
O. vulgatum
Binomial name
Ophioglossum vulgatum

The adder’s tongue fern is generally believed to have the largest number of chromosomes with 1262, compared to the human’s 46.

Distribution

It is native to many regions with a wide scattered distribution: throughout temperate through tropical Africa and throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere in Europe, northeastern North America, temperate Asia, and Eurasia.[2][3]

This small, hard-to-spot plant can occur singly in unimproved pastures, rock crevices and grassy path-sides, but also can occur in colonies of hundreds of plants in sand dunes.

Growing in sand-dunes on Anglesey

Description

Ophioglossum vulgatum grows from a rhizome base to 10–20 cm tall (rarely to 30 cm). It consists of a two-part frond, separated into a rounded diamond-shaped sheath and narrow spore-bearing spike. The spike has around 10-40 segments on each side.

It reproduces by means of spores.

Rarity

This species is rare in most European countries. In Ukraine, there were recorded 280 loci: 152 before 1980, after 1980 – 120, as before and after 1980 – 8 locations.[4]

Uses

Traditional European folk use of leaves and rhizomes as a poultice for wounds. This remedy was sometimes called the "Green Oil of Charity". A tea made from the leaves was used as a traditional European folk remedy for internal bleeding and vomiting.[5]

Taxonomy

Linnaeus described adder's-tongue with the binomial Ophioglossum vulgatum in his Species Plantarum of 1753.[6]

References
  1. Stace, Clive (2010b), New Flora of the British Isles (3rd ed.), Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-70772-5, p. 9
  2. "Ophioglossum vulgatum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  3. USDA
  4. Parnikoza I., Celka Z. An Archive of the Ophiglossaceae in Ukraine
  5. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases: Ophioglossum vulgatum
  6. Linnaeus, C. (1753). Species Plantarum. Vol. II (1st ed.). Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii. p. 1062.

6.

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