Ophioglossum vulgatum

Last updated

Ophioglossum vulgatum
Ophioglossum vulgatum Saarland 01.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Ophioglossales
Family: Ophioglossaceae
Genus: Ophioglossum
Species:
O. vulgatum
Binomial name
Ophioglossum vulgatum
L.

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]

Contents

The chloroplast genome was reported to have a size of 138,562 base pairs. [3]

Description

Ophioglossum vulgatum grows from a rhizome base to 10–20 cm tall (rarely to 30 cm).[ citation needed ] It consists of a two-part frond, separated into a 4-12 cm rounded diamond-shaped leaf sheath and narrow branchless spore-bearing spike. [4] The spike has around 10-40 segments on each side.[ citation needed ]

It reproduces by means of spores. [4]

Taxonomy

Linnaeus described adder's-tongue with the binomial Ophioglossum vulgatum in his Species Plantarum of 1753. [5]

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] [6]

Growing in sand-dunes on Anglesey Ophioglossum in sand-dunes.jpg
Growing in sand-dunes on Anglesey

Habitat

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.[ citation needed ]

In Finland, unlike elsewhere, it grows on seashores, unlike other parts of the world where it tends to be a calciphile. Finland has fitting lime rich soil habitat sparsely, but the plant has found an equivalent living habitat from Finland's seashores affected by a post-glacial rebound: land just risen from the sea is often quite neutral and contains mineral salts in addition to being open and bare enough. [4]

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. [7]

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. [8]

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. 1 2 "Ophioglossum vulgatum". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  3. Hao, J., Liang, Y., Zhu, M., Ping, J., Feng, P., Su, Y., & Wang, T. (2021). The complete chloroplast genome of Ophioglossum vulgatum L.(Ophioglossaceae) and phylogenetic analysis. Mitochondrial DNA Part B, 6(9), 2730-2731.
  4. 1 2 3 Piirainen, Mikko; Piirainen, Pirkko; Vainio, Hannele (1999). Kotimaan luonnonkasvit[Native wild plants] (in Finnish). Porvoo, Finland: WSOY. p. 26. ISBN   951-0-23001-4.
  5. Linnaeus, C. (1753). Species Plantarum. Vol. II (1st ed.). Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii. p. 1062.
  6. USDA
  7. Parnikoza I., Celka Z. An Archive of the Ophiglossaceae in Ukraine [ permanent dead link ]
  8. "Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases at NAL". 2023-02-03. Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2024-04-17.

6.