Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2020 | 12(17): 17287–17298
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5026.12.17.17287-17298
#5026 | Received 24 April 2019 | Final
received 21 July 2020 | Finally accepted 05 November 2020
Diversity, distribution and
conservation status of the Adder’s-tongue ferns in Goa, India
Sachin M. Patil
1 & Kishore Rajput 2
1,2 Laboratory of Plant Anatomy &
Pteridology, Department of Botany, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda,
Vadodara, Gujarat 390002, India.
1 sach2010d@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 ks.rajput15@yahoo.com
Editor: Sanjaykumar R. Rahangdale, PDEA’s A. W. Arts, Science &
Commerce College, Pune, India. Date of
publication: 26 December 2020 (online & print)
Citation: Patil. S.M. & K. Rajput
(2020). Diversity,
distribution and conservation status of the Adder’s-tongue ferns in Goa, India.
Journal of Threatened
Taxa 12(17): 17287–17298. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5026.12.17.17287-17298
Copyright: © Patil & Rajput 2020. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Government of
India [File No. PDF/2016/003706].
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Author
details: Dr. Sachin M. Patil, Laboratory of Plant Anatomy & Pteridology,
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, area of interest: taxonomy,
molecular systematics and anatomy of pteridophytes; limnology and phytoplankton
diversity. Dr. Kishore S. Rajput, Laboratory of Plant Anatomy &
Pteridology, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, area of Interest:
anatomy of angiosperms and pteridophytes; taxonomy and molecular systematics of
pteridophytes and fungi.
Author
contribution: SMP—collection
& identification of Ophioglossum species and
preliminary writing of present manuscript. KSR—confirmation of identity, proof
reading, finalizing the current manuscript and administrative responsibilities.
Acknowledgements: Authors are thankful to anonymous
reviewers and the handling editor for their valuable suggestions on the earlier
version of the manuscript. Also,
thankful to Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) for financial support
under NPDF programme to SMP.
Abstract: The cosmopolitan fern genus Ophioglossum (Ophioglossaceae)
is distributed from low to high altitude plateaux, coastal plains and forest
floors of India. This genus has received
special attention from pteridologists worldwide since
the discovery that Ophioglossum reticulatum possesses the largest number of
chromosomes. There are, however, no
reported studies of Ophioglossum in Goa, hence
the present investigation was undertaken to study the diversity, distribution
and conservation status of Ophioglossum in
that state. A total of six species were
collected from different localities, of which four (O. nudicaule, O. lusitanicum,
O. parvifolium, and O. reticulatum) are reported as new distributional
records for Goa State. A detailed
morpho-taxonomy, illustration and photographs of all collected species are
given, along with a key to the species.
Keywords: Illustration, morpho-taxonomy,
new record, Western Ghats.
INTRODUCTION
The state
of Goa is located on the western coast of India between Maharashtra and
Karnataka states, with a geographical area of 3,702km2. It lies on the coastal plains of the Western
Ghats between 14.899–15.799 0N and 3.681–74.336 0E. The major rivers are Mandovi
and Zuari (Meteorological Centre, Goa 2020), and the
climatic features fall under the tropical monsoon climate, making the region
generally warm and humid throughout the year.
The average rainfall ranges between 2,500–4,500 mm/annum, and highest
rainfall is observed during June–August.
The average temperature ranges between 16.2°C–36.7°C, with maximum
temperature during the month of April–May.
The state has a national park (Molem) and six
wildlife sanctuaries which covers an area of 755km2 (Hiremath 2003; Jadhav & Patil
2012).
The genus Ophioglossum L. belongs to the primitive family Ophioglossaceae.
About 50 species are accepted internationally (Hassler & Schmitt
2020), and 19 species are documented from India (Patil
& Dongare 2014; Patil
et al. 2018 & Kachhiyapatel et al. 2018), of
which the status of a few were unresolved (Hassler & Schmitt 2020). All are terrestrial forms except the
epiphytic O. pendulum L.
The genus was studied in India for the first time by Beddome
(1883). After his monumental
contribution on the Indian ferns, the genus Ophioglossum
L., received further attention from Blatter & d’Almedia
(1922), Chakravarty (1951), Mahabale (1962), Panigrahi & Dixit (1969), Khandelwal (1987), Khullar
(1994), and Goswami (2007), in their respective
works. It is characterized by simple trophophyll with a spike (rarely bi or trifurcate) bearing
two rows of sporangia. In all species
the trophophyll is pale green, green, dark or light
green at maturity, and produces a paler spike (Khullar 1994; Goswami 2007; Goswami et al.
2008). Ophioglossum
gomezianum Welw. ex A.Braun, O. indicum
B.L.Yadav & Goswami, O.
lusitanicum L., and O. rubellum Welw. ex A.Braun, however, produce yellow, pink, reddish to brown
tinge of trophophyll, respectively (Goswami 2007). Patil & Dongare (2014)
studied the diversity and distribution of Ophioglossum
from the Western Ghats and reported 06 species.
Recently, Fraser-Jenkins et al. (2018) accepted only 12 species for
India.
The
diversity of pteridophytes in Goa is less understood, with few reports. Dalgado 1898;
Blatter & d’Almedia 1922; Vartak
1966; Rao 1985–1986; Naithani et al. 1997, and
Irudayaraj & Bir 1997. Manickam et
al. (2004) studied the pteridophytes of the Western Ghats of Goa and recorded
51 species. Further, Kerkar
& Shetkar (2009) studied the order Pteridales and
recorded 16 species in Goa belonging to six genera from five families. In 2010, Datar
& Lakshminarasimhan (2010) studied the
pteridophyte flora of the Western Ghats of Goa and documented 47 species. These studies reported two species of Ophioglossum: O. costatum
R.Br., and O. gramineum Willd., from the Western Ghats of Goa. While studying the pteridophytes of the
Western Ghats, however, the authors visited different places in Goa and
observed that the plateaux and coastal plains are favourable for Ophioglossum and earlier workers may have missed
some species. Thus the present
investigation was undertaken to study the morpho-taxonomy, species composition,
distribution and conservation status of Ophioglossum
from Goa.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Field
visits were carried out during 2014–2018 in different areas of Goa State. The collected specimens of Ophioglossum were processed in the laboratory. Pressed specimens were fixed with 4% formalin
and affixed to herbarium sheets using synthetic gum (Fevicol). Specimens were identified using literature,
including Blatter & d’Almedia (1922); Panigrahi & Dixit (1969); Fraser-Jenkins et al. (2017),
and Patil & Dongare
(2014). The voucher specimens are
deposited in the herbarium of the Department of Botany, Maharaja Sayajirao
University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat (BARO).
RESULTS
During the
present investigation authors collected six species of Ophioglossum:
O. costatum R.Br., O. gramineum Willd., O.
lusitanicum L., O. nudicaule
L.f., O. parvifolium
Grev. & Hook., and O. reticulatum L.
The detailed morphology, diversity, distribution, illustrations,
photographs, phenology, ecology, and conservation status of each species is
given. An identification key for the
taxa recorded from Goa State is given below.
Key to the
species for Goa state
1a. Trophophylls having costa or yellow band at centre
…………………...…………...……….. O. costatum
1b. Trophophylls without costa or yellow band at centre
………………………………...…...……………………. 2
2a. Trophophylls base cordate, strobili having > 20 pairs of
sporangia ….……......…… O. reticulatum
2b. Trophophylls base not cordate, strobili having < 20
pairs of sporangia ............……..................... 3
3a. Trophophylls attached to substratum
…………………....…………….........……... O. parvifolium
3b. Trophophylls above the ground ……………… 4
4a. Trophophylls ovate-lanceolate, 1–2 cm above the ground
…………...……………......…... O. nudicaule
4b. Trophophylls liner-lanceolate or spathulate not flat on
ground …………………....…...…………….. 5
5a. Trophophylls linear-lanceolate or grass like
…………………….………………...…...……. O. gramineum
5b. Trophophylls spathulate-lanceolate not grass like ………………………………......….……
O. lusitanicum
Ophioglossum costatum R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 163. 1810. Panigrahi &
Dixit, Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India 35: 249. 1969; Patil
& Dongare, Indian Fern J., 31: 17–24. 2014.
Lectotype: from
Australia, Queensland, Arnhem North Bay, R. Brown 118. 14.2.1803.
Ophioglossum pedunculosum Desv., Mag. Nat. Fr. Berlin 5: 306. 1811.
O. brevipes Bedd., Ferns. Southern India 23. t. 72. 1863.
O. bulbosum Bedd., Ferns. Brit.
India Supl. t. 28. 1876.
O. fibrosum Schum., Bedd., Handb. 465. t. 289. 1883.
Plant
terrestrial, 12–25 cm in height, pale-green; rhizomorph 0.5–1 cm, subterranean,
disc like or globose, bearing numerous yellow-brown, fleshy, unbranched, roots;
common stalk 2–3 cm, subterranean-terranean; trophophylls 2–6 x 0.5–1 cm, 1–3 simple,
elliptic-lanceolate, apex acute-apiculate or obtuse-round, base cuneate, margin
entire, green-pale green, glabrous on both sides,
coriaceous, costa present, prominent,
yellow; texture coriaceous, thick; veins indistinct, simple reticulate,
anastomosing; fertile segment 9–19 cm, unbranched, inserted on adaxial
position of leaf; strobili 2–5 cm, liner-lanceolate, apex blunt-lanceolate,
20–55 pairs of sporangia, pale yellow, unbranched; spores 20–40 µm in diameter,
trilete, foveolate.
Phenology: sterile
phase – June–July; fertile phase: July–September (rarely in
October)
Distribution: India
(Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa (Canacona, Dharbandora, Mapusa, Pernem, Phonda, Quepem, & Sattari), Gujarat, Himachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal), Bangladesh, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Africa, and Australia.
Ecology: Very
common, collected from grassy plateau. The population size varies according to
the water content of the soils. The
population size is larger when water availability is more and vice-versa.
Conservation
status: It is collected from throughout the Goa except seashore areas. Population comprises about 300–400
individuals per km2 and the area of occupancy (AOO) is 50–60 km2. Therefore, as per IUCN categories and
criteria (IUCN red list of Threatened Species ver. 2017-1), it is assessed as
Least Concerned (LR) species for Goa State.
Ophioglossum gramineum Willd.
Nov. Act. Acad. Erfurt. 2: 18. t.f.1. 1802; Beddome, Handb. Suppl. Ferns Brit. India 108. 1892; Balakrishnan et
al., Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 337. 1960; Panigrahi & Dixit, Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India 35: 250.
1969; Patil & Dongare,
Indian Fern J. 31: 17–24. 2014.
Type: from West
Africa, St. Thomae, De Friedland B.
Ophioglossum dietrichiae Prantl, Ber. Deut. Bot. Ges. 1: 352. 1883.
O. gregarium Christ, Nova Guinea Bot. 8: 164. 1909;
O. inconspicuum (Racib.)
Alderw., Bull. Dépt. Agric.
Ind. Néerl. 21: 9. 1908.
O. prantlii C.Chr., Ind. Fil. 2:
471. 1906.
O. inconspicuum forma majus
Alderw., Bull. Dépt.
Agric. Ind. Néerl. 21: 9. 1908.
Ophioglossum gramineum var. majus (Alderw.) Wieff., Blumea 12(2): 324. 1964. Ophioglossum gregarium Christ,
Nova Guinea, Bot., 8: 164. 1909.
Ophioglossum gracile Pocock ex J.E.Burrows, Bothalia 25(1): 61.
1995.
O. vulgatum var. gramineum (Willd.) Hook.
f., Fl. Nov. Zel. 2: 50. 1854.
Plant
terrestrial, 4–8 cm in height, green-pale green; rhizomorph
sub-globose-tuberous, subterranean, bearing numerous, fleshy, fibrous roots;
common stalk 0.5–2 cm, subterranean-terranean, flat; trophophylls 1–2 cm, 1–2, linear grass-like, apex
acuminate, margin entire, soft, green-pale green; texture coriaceous,
thin; veins parallel, anastomosing, forming parallel areoles; fertile segment
3.5–6 cm, unbranched, pale green, flat-round; strobili 0.5–1.5 cm,
linear-lanceolate, apex pointed, 6–10 (rarely >10) pairs of sporangia, arranged
in two alternate rows, pale green-yellow; spores 25–40 µm dia., trilete, exine reticulate.
Phenology: Sterile
phase: Jun–July; fertile phase: July–August (rarely September–October)
Distribution: India
(Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa (Cancona, Dharbandora, Mapusa, Pernem, Phonda, Quepem, & Sattari), Gujarat,
Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Tamil
Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, & West Bengal), Indonesia,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, East Borneo, East Java, New Guinea, Vietnam,
Africa, and Sri Lanka.
Ecology: Common
fern collected from grassy plateaux associated with O. nudicaule, O. parvifolium
and O. costatum.
Conservation
status: It is collected from plateaux situated in Goa State. Population comprises about 300–400
individuals per km2 and the area of occupancy (AOO) is 50–60 km2. Therefore, as per IUCN categories and
criteria (IUCN red list of Threatened Species ver. 2017-1), it is assessed as
Least Concerned (LR) species for Goa State.
Ophioglossum lusitanicum L., Sp.
Pl., 2: 1063. 1753; Clausen, Mem. Torry Bot. Club, 19
(2): 159. 1938; Mahable, Bull. Bot. Surv. India, 4: 71. 1962; Panigrahi
& Dixit, Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India 35: 251. 1969; Patil
& Dongare, Indian Fern J., 31: 17-24. 2014.
Type: from
Portugal, “Habitat in Lusitania”, not designated.
Ophioglossum loureirianum C.Presl, Suppl. Tent. Pterid. 55.
1845.
O. braunii Prantl, Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 1: 351.
1883.
Plant
terrestrial, 3–10 cm in height, small; rhizomorph 0.5–1 cm, subterranean,
sub-globose-tuberous with or without stoloniferous fleshy roots; common stalk
subterranean, white; trophophylls 1–2, erect,
red-brown-green, spathulate, linear-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate,
acute-acuminate apex, cuneate- attenuate base, entire margin; texture
coriaceous, thin; veins indistinct, anastomosing, forming parallel areoles;
fertile segment round, unbranched, green-yellow brown; strobili 1–2 cm,
linear-lanceolate, 8–10 (rarely >10) sporangia in two rows, green-yellow;
spores 20–25 µm dia., trilete, exine reticulate.
Phenology: sterile
phase: June–July; fertile phase: August–September
Distribution: India
(Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa (Mapusa, Pernem, & Phonda), Jammu
& Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab,
Tamil Nadu, & Uttar Pradesh), Algeria, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tanzania,
Tunisia, and Uganda.
Ecology: Common
species, collected from grassy plateaux of Goa, associated with O. costatum, O. nudicaule, O. parvifolium and O. reticulatum.
Conservation
status: It is collected from plateaux situated at Mapusa,
Pernem, and Phonda. A population of about 100–200 individuals was
found. The area of occupancy (AOO) is
10–20 km2 per locality and considered as Data Deficient (DD) because
the explorations in the state are not completed and there is a possibility of
more locations of occurrence.
Ophioglossum nudicaule L.f.,
Suppl. Pl. Syst. 443. 1781; Beddome, Handb. Ferns Br. India, 464, t. 228. 1883; Panigrahi & Dixit, Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India 35. 252.
1969; Manickam & Irudayaraj, Pterid. Fl. West
Ghats 48-49. t. 27. 1992; Patil & Dongare, Indian Fern J. 31: 17-24. 2014.
Type: South
Africa: Cape of Good Hope.
Ophioglossum capense Sw., Schard. Journ. 1801(2): 308.
1803.
Ophioglossum capense Schlech. var. nudicaule (L.) Schlech.,
Fil. Prom. Bonae Sp.: 9. 1825.
Ophioglossum ellipticum Hook.
& Grev., Icon. Filic.
t. 40 A. 1828.
Ophioglossum lineare Schlechter & Brause, Bot. Jerb., 49: 59, fig. 3F. 1912.
Ophioglossum luersseni Prantl, Ber. Deut. Bot. Ger. 1:
352. 1883.
Plant 4–12 cm height, green,
terrestrial herb; rhizomorphs subterranean, sub-globose (at young)-tuberous (at
maturity), bearing many soft, pale brown, unbranched, fleshy, fibrous,
stoloniferous roots; common stalk 1–3 cm, subterranean-terranean,
white (subterranean), green (terranean); trophophylls 0.5–2 x 1–2 cm, 1–2 (rarely 3), green, tuft
ovate-elliptic, apex acute-obtuse, base cuneate, margin entire, glabrous; veins indistinct, simple reticulate,
anastomosing, with or without included veinlets; fertile segment 2–8 cm,
unbranched (rarely branched), green at young, yellow at maturity; strobili
1.5–2.5 cm long, with 10–20 sporangia per strobilus, arranged in two alternate
rows, linear-lanceolate, apex pointed; spores 30–40 µm dia., trilate, with reticulate ornamentation.
Distribution: India
(Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa (Phonda & Canacona), Gujarat, Jharkand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Tamil
Nadu, & West Bengal), China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Phenology: sterile
phase: July–August; fertile phase: August–September.
Ecology: The
species is growing in patches on fully exposed plateaux or open grassland,
associated with O. costatum, O. gramineum and O. parvifolium.
Conservation
status: It is collected from open grasslands on plateaux situated in Phonda and Canacora. The area of occupancy (AOO) is 10–20 km2
per locality and considered as Data Deficient (DD) because the explorations in
the state are not completed and there is possibility of more locations of
occurrence.
Ophioglossum parvifolium Grev. & Hook., Bot. Misc. 3: 218. 1833; Patil & Dongare, Indian Fern
J. 31: 17–24. 2014.
O. macrorrhizum Kunze Analecta
Pteridogr.: 2. 1837.
O. schmidii Kunze in Linnaea 24: 246. 1851.
O. luerssenii Prantl
Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 1:
352. 1883.
O. pumilum (Racib.) Alderw. Malayan Ferns: 774. 1909.
Type: India,
Gujarat, Valsad District, Wilson Hills, 24 Aug 2014, Patil
& Kachhiyapatel 38 (BARO No. 1234500700). typ.
cons. prop. (Mazumdar et al. 2018)
Plant 4–8
cm, terrestrial herbs; rhizomorph subterranean, sub-globose-tuberous, pale
brown, bearing many soft, fleshy, unbranched, fibrous, stoloniferous roots;
common stalk subterranean, white, round, glabrous; trophophylls 0.4–1 cm, 1–2 (rarely 3–4), pale green-green,
ovate-lanceolate, apex acute-apiculate, margin entire, base cordate; texture coriaceous,
thin; veins indistinct, simple reticulate, four or five veins passing up
through the stalk of the blade; fertile segment 2–6 cm long, unbranched,
green-pale green; strobili 0.5–1 cm long, 5–7
(rarely >10) pairs of sporangia, arranged in two alternate rows; spores
25–45 µm dia., trilete, exine reticulate.
Distribution: India
(Madhya Pradesh, Goa (Canacona, Dharbandora,
Mapusa, Pernem, Phonda, Quepem, & Sattari), Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan,
Kerala, & Tamil Nadu), China, South America, Sumatra, Malaysia, and
Thailand.
Ecology: Common
species grows in patches on fully exposed areas from low land to high land
areas.
Conservation
status: It is collected from different plateaux of Goa state. Population comprises about 300–400
individuals per km2. The area
of occupancy (AOO) is 50–60 km2.
Therefore, as per IUCN categories and criteria (IUCN ver. 2017-1), it is
assessed as Least Concerned (LC) species for Goa state.
Ophioglossum reticulatum L. Sp. Pl.
2: 1063. 1753; Beddome, Ferns. Southern India 23. t.
70. 1863; Beddome, Handb.
Ferns. Bri. India, 465. t. 290. 1883; Panigrahi & Dixit, Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India 35. 257.
1969; R.D. Dixit, Cens. Ind. Pterid.
24. 1984; Manickam & Irudayaraj, Pterid. Fl. West
Ghats: 51. t. 29. 1992; Patil & Dongare, Indian Fern J. 31: 17-24. 2014.
Lectotype: (Tardieu
Blot, in Aubreville, Flor. Gabon 8: 30. 1964): from
C. America, “Ophioglossum cordatum et reticulatum”
in Plumier, Traité Foug. Amér., 141, t. 164, 1705.
Ophioglossum peruvianum Presl, Suppl. Tent. Pterid 52.
1845.
Ophioglossum petiolatum sensu Wieffering, Blumea, 12: 327. 1964.
Ophiglossum cordifolium Roxb., Hort. Bengal. 75. 1814;
Plant 15–25
cm, terrestrial herb; rhizomorph 3–7 mm long, subterranean, tuberous, bearing
few long, thick fleshy unbranched, pale brown roots, with 1–2 trophophylls; common stalk 2–5 cm, terranean,
white at base, green above; trophophylls 1,
2–5 x 1–3 cm, cordate-broadly ovate, rarely elliptic-oblong, apex rounded or
acute, base cordate; veins reticulate, areoles with or without included free
veinlets; fertile segment 12–18 cm long, round; strobili 1–5 cm, 20–45 pairs of
sporangia, apex pointed, sporangia arranged in two alternate compact rows;
spores 30–45 µm dia., spherical, trilete, exine
hemispherical.
Distribution: India
(Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa (Sattari & Canacona), Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil
Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, & West Bengal), Malay Peninsula,
tropical America, Africa, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
Phenology: sterile
phase: July–August; fertile phase: August–October
Ecology: Very
common, found beneath trees in the forest along with Ophioglossum
costatum, O. gramineum
and O. parvifolium.
Conservation
Status: It is collected from forest regions at Sattari
and Canacona.
The area of occupancy (AOO) is 10–20 km2 per locality and
considered as Data Deficient (DD) because the explorations in the state are not
completed and there is possibility of more locations of occurrence.
DISCUSSION
Earlier
only two species, Ophioglossum costatum and O. gramineum
were reported from Goa (Manikam et al. 2004; Datar & Lakshminarsimhan
2010). During the present investigation
six species were collected, of which O. lusitanicum,
O. nudicaule, O. parvifolium,
and O. reticulatum have been added to
the flora of Goa. O. costatum, O. gramineum, and O.
parvifolium are considered least concerned (LC)
species, while O. lusitanicum, O.
nudicaule, and O. reticulatum
are considered data deficient (DD) species.
The maximum diversity was observed in open grassy habitat and plateaux,
where we collected O. costatum, O.
gramineum, O. lusitanicum,
O. nudicaule, and O. parvifolium.
Coastal plains contained O. costatum
and O. gramineum, and on forest
floors we collected O. nudicaule and O.
reticulatum.
In Ophioglossum costatum
the trophophylls (leaf-like segment) have a central
yellow band (i.e. costa), hence the specific epithet is O. costatum.
Amongst the taxa reported from India, O. costatum
is only one with a costa (Image 1), thus it can be easily differentiated from
other Indian residents. In the field it is difficult to locate O. gramineum because this species is found on grassy
plateaux and its appearance is similar to a grass (hence specific epithet O.
gramineum).
Generally the trophophylls are
linear-lanceolate like grass, and are part underground and part above ground
with a common stalk (Image 2). A species
similar to O. gramineum is O. lusitanicum, however, the latter has green-brown,
spathulate-lanceolate trophophylls and a subterranean
common stalk (Image 3). Ophioglossum nudicaule
and O. parvifolium are closely allied
and commonly confused species. O.
nudicaule is smaller in size, hence the
specific epithet is parvifolium (parvum =
small and folium = trophophylls). Ophioglossum
nudicaule has trophophylls
that are ovate-obovate, 1–2 cm above the ground, common stalk subterranean-terranean, whereas in O. parvifolium
the trophophylls are ovate-broadly lanceolate,
attached or flat on the ground, common stalk subterranean only (Image
4–5). Ophioglossum
reticulatum is well-known and popular in
biological world because it has the highest number of chromosomes (n=740). It is allied and confused with O. petiolatum, however, O. reticulatum
has cordate trophophylls, 2–5 cm above ground, epetiolate, common stalk subterranean-terranean,
having maximum number of sporangia (Image 6).
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(1883). Handbook to the ferns of British India. Ceylon and Malay
Peninsula Thacker Spink & Co., Calcutta, 500pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.101756
Blatter, E.
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