Ophioglossum crotalophoroides

Walter

Fl. Carol. 256. 1788.

Common names: Bulbous adder's-tongue
Illustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

Roots to 20 per plant, blackish, usually extremely narrow, often almost hairlike, less than 0.1 mm diam., proliferations not reported. Stems spheric, 3-12 mm diam., succulent, cormlike with perforation at apex, apical meristem located at bottom of cavity through which leaves emerge at top, leaves 2 per stem. Trophophore stalk to 0.6cm, 0.1-0.2 times as long as trophophore blade. Trophophore blade lying nearly flat on ground, not folded longitudinally, pale green throughout, deltate to cordate, to 3 × 2 cm, contracted abruptly at truncate to cordate base, apex with apiculum. Venation coarsely reticulate with included veinlets. Sporophores arising at ground level, 1-5 times as long as trophophore; sporangial clusters usually short, less than 1 cm, 2-3 mm wide, with 3-8 pairs of sporangia, apiculum to 1.5 mm.


Phenology: Leaves appearing mainly in late winter and early spring, sometimes also appearing later in season after heavy rains.
Habitat: Second-growth fields, vacant lots, roadside ditches, and lawns
Elevation: 0-100 m

Distribution

V2 33-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., Mo., N.C., S.C., Tex., widespread in tropical highlands, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America

Discussion

Ophioglossum crotalophoroides is very remarkable morphologically for its highly modified stem and threadlike nonproliferous roots. The gametophyte is disclike (M.R. Mesler 1973). It is especially common in lawns and cemeteries in the southeastern United States.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
apiculate +, acute +  and rounded +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
Warren H. Wagner Jr. +  and Florence S. Wagner +
Walter +
truncate +  and cordate +
simple +, stalked +  and sessile +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
lanceolate +  and cordate +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
Bulbous adder's-tongue +
Ala. +, Ark. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Tex. +, widespread in tropical highlands +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +  and South America +
0-100 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 +
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 />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
2mm;3mm +
Leaves appearing mainly in late winter and early spring, sometimes also appearing later in season after heavy rains. +
epiphytic +  and terrestrial +
spore-bearing +  and laminate +
photosynthetic +
with long , uniseriate hairs +  and glabrous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br />) +
proliferous +
hairlike +
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 +
1-5 times as long as trophophore +
divided +
unbranched +  and simple +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (?) +
spheric +
succulent +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
tuberculate +  and rugate +
Ophioglossum crotalophoroides +
Ophioglossum +
species +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
deltate +  and cordate +
erect +  and prostrate +
0.1-0.2 times as long as trophophore blade +
anastomosing +
like +, arranged +  and pinnate +