Monilophytes (ferns): Ophioglossoid Ferns (eusporangiate ferns): Ophioglossales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (2/8/20):
Ophioglossum pycnostichum
FAMILY
Ophioglossaceae
NEW! Click to go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Ophioglossum from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ophioglossum vulgatum
FAMILY
Ophioglossaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 006-02-004:
Ophioglossum vulgatum var. pycnostichum
FAMILY
Ophioglossaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Ophioglossum vulgatum
COMMON NAME:
Southern Adder's-tongue
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Don Lewis tdl_1086
March? Greenville County SC
Firefly Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm180408_1146
April McCormick County SC
Parks Mill
Sporangia fused together in two partially buried rows on erect stalk, per Ferns of the Smokies.
COMPARE
Adder's Mouth and Adder's Tongue
)
JK Marlow jkm210408_9377
April Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
)
Roxanna Martin rlm4211_44
April Spartanburg County SC
)
Roxanna Martin rlm4910_047
April Spartanburg County SC
Blade is oval, rounded at top with broad, abruptly tapering base, per Field Guide to the Ferns and Other Pteridophytes of Georgia.
)
Betsy George bmg_39
May Greenville County SC
Ophioglossum's chromosome numbers are the highest known in all vascular plants, per Flora of North America.
)
Gill Newberry gil_ophioglossum_duo
May Spartanburg County SC
)
Gill Newberry gil_ophioglossumtwins
May Spartanburg County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm110522_677
May Greenville County SC
Firefly Forest
Elusive, 4-10" tall, withering in midsummer, per Peterson Field Guide to Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (2/8/20):
Ophioglossum pycnostichum
FAMILY
Ophioglossaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ophioglossum vulgatum
FAMILY
Ophioglossaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 006-02-004:
Ophioglossum vulgatum var. pycnostichum
FAMILY
Ophioglossaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Ophioglossum vulgatum
2233
Fern/Fern ally
Perennial
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Documented growing wild in GA NC SC
Uncommon (or overlooked) in Mountains & Piedmont, rare in Coastal Plain
Habitat: Bottomland forests, moist loamy soils of successional forests and old fields, per Weakley's Flora
NEW! Click here to see a range map (and maybe identification notes) from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Leaf consists of a simple sterile blade & an erect, spike-like fertile segment
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Field Guide to the Ferns and Other Pteridophytes of Georgia p032
- The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas p194
- Ferns of the Smokies p042
- Peterson Field Guide to Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America p277