Ophioglossum vulgatum
Ophioglossum vulgatum | |
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Ophioglossum vulgatum growing in sand-dunes on Anglesey | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Division: | Pteridophyta |
Class: | Psilotopsida |
Order: | Ophioglossales |
Family: | Ophioglossaceae |
Genus: | Ophioglossum |
Species: | O. vulgatum |
Binomial name | |
Ophioglossum vulgatum L. | |
Ophioglossum vulgatum, commonly known as adder's-tongue,[1] southern adders-tongue or adders-tongue fern, is a species of the plant genus Ophioglossum.[2]
Distribution
It is native to many regions with a wide scattered distribution: throughout temperate through tropical Africa; and throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere in Europe, northeastern North America, temperate Asia, and Eurasia.[2][3]
This small, hard-to-spot plant can occur singly in unimproved pastures, rock crevices and grassy path-sides, but also can occur in colonies of hundreds of plants in sand dunes.
Description
Ophioglossum vulgatum grows from a rhizome base to 10-20 cm tall (rarely to 30 cm). It consists of a two-part frond, separated into a rounded diamond-shaped sheath and narrow spore-bearing spike. The spike has around 10-40 segments on each side.
It reproduces by means of spores.
Uses
Traditional European folk use of leaves and rhizomes as a poultice for wounds. This remedy was sometimes called the "Green Oil of Charity". A tea made from the leaves was used as a traditional European folk remedy for internal bleeding and vomiting. [4]
References
- ↑ Stace, Clive (2010b), New Flora of the British Isles (3rd ed.), Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-70772-5, p. 9
- 1 2 GRIN treatment: O. vulgatum . accessed 2.14.2014
- ↑ USDA
- ↑ Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases: Ophioglossum vulgatum
External links
- Germplasm Resources Information Network—GRIN: Ophioglossum vulgatum
- USDA Plants Profile for Ophioglossum vulgatum