Ophioglossum

Ophioglossum
Ophioglossum vulgatum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Ophioglossales
Family: Ophioglossaceae
Subfamily: Ophioglossoideae
Genus: Ophioglossum
L.[1]
Type species
Ophioglossum vulgatum
L.
Species

See text

Synonyms[2]
  • Cassiopteris H.Karst.
  • Goswamia Zhang & Zhang
  • Haukia Zhang & Zhang
  • †Ophioglossites Massalongo
  • Rhizoglossum Presl non Kylin
  • Whittieria Zhang & Zhang

Ophioglossum, the adder's-tongue ferns, is a genus of about 50 species of ferns in the family Ophioglossaceae. The name Ophioglossum comes from the Greek meaning "snake-tongue".[3] Their cosmopolitan distribution is mainly in tropical and subtropical habitats.[3]

The genus has the largest number of chromosomes in the known plant kingdom, but contrary to popular belief does not have the largest number of chromosomes out of all known organisms, falling short to the protist Sterkiella histriomuscorum.

  1. ^ "Ophioglossum". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference WF_g32 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b eFloras: Ophioglossum accessed 14 February 2014.