Ophioglossum nudicaule

Linnaeus

Suppl. Pl. 443. 1781.

Common names: Slender adder's-tongue
Illustrated
Synonyms: Ophioglossum dendroneuron E.P. St.John Ophioglossum ellipticum Hooker & Greville Ophioglossum mononeuron E.P. St.John
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2. Mentioned on page 102.

Roots yellowish to pale-brown, to 15 per plant, 0.2-0.8mm diam., proliferous at wide intervals. Stem upright, 0.2-1.2 cm, 1-5 mm diam., commonly 2-3 leaves per stem. Trophophore stalk to 0.8 cm, 0.1-0.2 times length of trophophore blade. Trophophore blade spreading, usually plane when alive, green, dull, largest leaves drying with pale central band, ovate to lanceolate, thin, blades less than 0.4 × 0.3 cm in many colonies but blades large, to 4.5 × 1.7 cm in other colonies, herbaceous, base gradually tapered, apex with short apiculum; venation finely complex-reticulate, areoles with only included veinlets in smaller blades but with numerous secondary areoles in largest blades. Sporophores arising at or near ground level, 2-6 times as long as trophophore; sporangial clusters 0.5-1.5cm, 1.5 mm or less wide, mostly with 5-12 pairs of sporangia, apiculum 0.5-1 mm.


Phenology: Leaves appearing in latter half of winter and early spring, sometimes with second flush in same year after heavy rains.
Habitat: Second-growth fields, vacant lots, roadside ditches, and lawns
Elevation: 0-90 m

Distribution

V2 825-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tex., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands

Discussion

Ophioglossum nudicaule is much less common than O. crotalophoroides; they often occur together and are found in the same or similar habitats. The gametophytes of O. nudicaule are typical for the genus (M.R. Mesler et al. 1975). A given colony may be made up of small, medium, or large plants (W.H. Wagner Jr., C. M. Allen, and G.P. Landry 1984).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

... more about "Ophioglossum nudicaule"
apiculate +, acute +  and rounded +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
Warren H. Wagner Jr. +  and Florence S. Wagner +
Linnaeus +
tapered +
simple +, stalked +  and sessile +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
lanceolate +  and cordate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
Slender adder's-tongue +
Ala. +, Ark. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, N.C. +, Okla. +, S.C. +, Tex. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +, South America +, Asia +, Africa +  and Pacific Islands +
0-90 m +
brown +  and white +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
linear +  and round +
Second-growth fields, vacant lots, roadside ditches, and lawns +
of widely scattered , long , uniseriate hairs +
ovate;lanceolate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Leaves appearing in latter half of winter and early spring, sometimes with second flush in same year after heavy rains. +
epiphytic +  and terrestrial +
spore-bearing +  and laminate +
photosynthetic +
with long , uniseriate hairs +  and glabrous +
yellowish +  and pale-brown +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
proliferous +
Illustrated +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
thick-walled +  and trilete +
stalked +  and simple +
2-6 times as long as trophophore +
divided +
unbranched +  and simple +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
2 +  and 3 +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
tuberculate +  and rugate +
Ophioglossum dendroneuron +, Ophioglossum ellipticum +  and Ophioglossum mononeuron +
Ophioglossum nudicaule +
Ophioglossum +
species +
erect +  and prostrate +
0.1-0.2 times length of trophophore blade +
anastomosing +
like +, arranged +  and pinnate +