Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes - Online edition

Ophioglossum gramineum


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Habit. © A.R. Field
Close up of frond showing sporophore. © Australian Tropical Herbarium
Family

Ophioglossaceae

Botanical name

Ophioglossum gramineum Willd.

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/115359

Description

Rhizome erect, ovoid to shortly cylindrical; roots fleshy. Fronds erect, 4–18 cm tall, leaf bases not persistent. Common stipe 10–70 mm long. Sterile lamina 10–80 mm long, 1–6.5 mm wide, at least 6 times as long as broad, fleshy, sometimes not developed, linear to linear-elliptic, rarely linear-oblanceolate, gradually tapering, attentuate; venation of a single set of primary areoles including free veinlets. Sporophore 6–50 mm long, on a stipe 3.5–13 cm long; sterile tip 1–5 mm long. 

Distribution

Scattered across tropical and subtropical WA, NT and QLD. Also widespread throughout Palaeotropics.

Habit and habitat

Terrestrial, usually in shallow soil on rock shelfs exposed to sunlight, or in open woodland in shallow moist soils.

Cultivation

As for O. lusitanicum.

Similar species

Ophioglossum gramineum is the only Australian species that often has no lamina, emerging as a simple fertile spike.

Citation of Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes

Field AR, Quinn CJ, Zich FA (2022) Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes. apps.lucidcentral.org/fern/text/intro/index.htm (accessed online INSERT DATE).

Field AR, Quinn CJ, Zich FA (2022) ‘Platycerium superbum’, in Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes. apps.lucidcentral.org/fern/text/entities/platycerium_superbum.htm (accessed online INSERT DATE).

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