Ophioglossum ellipticum sensu Brack., non Hook. & Grev.; 0. vulgatum sensu Hillebr., non L.
Indigenous adder's tongue
Latin petiolus, petiole, little foot, stalk, stem.
Rhizomes cylindrical, 1.5-3.5 mm diam., roots up to 8 per plant, 0.8-1.3 mm diam., dark brown, stubble of old stipe bases absent, usually with 1 living frond. Fronds upright, arising above ground surface, mostly 2-6 cm (rarely up to 10 em) long. Sterile blades elliptic-ovate or lanceolate-ovate, tips acute, upright, arising above ground surface, commonly somewhat folded when alive. Veins reticulate, forming areoles. Fertile spikes 1-2 (-6) x as long as sterile blade, with up to 30 or more pairs of sporangia.
Common weed in greenhouses, flowerpots, and lawns in urban areas, 6-950 m, on all major islands except Moloka'i, where it surely occurs but has not been collected. Widespread in the southern United States and tropical regions worldwide, 0. petiolatum is considered to be a native, but it is possibly a recent introduction.
Ophioglossum petiolatum may be recognized by its habitat in greenhouses, flower-pots, and lawns; its erect blades and larger size compared with Ophioglossum nudicaule; acute, nonapiculate blade tips; and fertile spikes with up to 30 or more pairs of sporangia.
Development of the Consortium of Pacific Herbaria and several of the specimen databases have been
supported by National Science Foundation Grants (BRC 1057303,
ADBC 1304924
and ADBC1115116).
Data Usage Policy. Continued support provided by the Symbiota Support Hub, a domain of iDigBio (NSF Award #2027654).
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