115.200 Ophioglossum L.

Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria.

Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca

Description of the genus

Rhizome globose, subglobose or elongated, fleshy. Fronds devided into a simple leaflike fragment (trophophore) and a simple fertile segment (sporophore), inserted at base of the sterile segment or on the petiole, with a double row of sporangia in a spike near the apex.

Derivation of name: ophis: snake, glossa: tongue; an allusion to the slender, sometimes forked apex above the fertile spike.

Worldwide: c. 30-50 species, cosmopolitan distribution

Malawi: 10 taxa.

Ophioglossum gomezianum

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
convexum J.E. BurrowsDescription
costatum R.Br.N,SDescription, Image
gomezianum Welw. ex A. BraunSDescription, Image
lancifolium C. PreslSDescription
lusoafricanum Welw. ex PrantlDescription, Image
polyphyllum A.Braun[Agg]C,SDescription, Image
reticulatum L.N,C,SDescription, Image
rubellum Welw. ex A.BraunSDescription, Image
thomasii R.T. ClausenDescription
vulgatum L. subsp. africanum Pocock ex J.E. BurrowsDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Ophioglossum:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Ophioglossum
Flora of Burundi: Ophioglossum
Flora of the DRC: Ophioglossum
Flora of Mozambique: Ophioglossum
Flora of Rwanda: Ophioglossum
Flora of Zambia: Ophioglossum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ophioglossum

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ophioglossum
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ophioglossum
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ophioglossum
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Ophioglossum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Ophioglossum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ophioglossum
JSTOR Plant Science: Ophioglossum
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ophioglossum
Plants of the World Online: Ophioglossum
Tropicos: Ophioglossum
Wikipedia: Ophioglossum

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Genus page: Ophioglossum.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=8, retrieved 5 October 2024

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