Small adder's-tongue fern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small adder's-tongue fern |
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| Ophioglossum azoricum in coastal grassland, Dooncarton, Co. Mayo | |
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Ophioglossum
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azoricum
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The small adder's-tongue fern (Ophioglossum azoricum) is a tiny fern that belongs to the Ophioglossaceae family. It gets its name because its spore-bearing part looks a bit like a snake's tongue.
Where the Small Adder's-Tongue Fern Lives
The small adder's-tongue fern is found in many places around the Atlantic Ocean. You can see it on islands and in parts of western and southwestern Europe. Its range stretches from Greenland, Iceland, and the British Isles in the north, all the way to Macaronesia and the Iberian Peninsula in the south.
It also grows in the Toscana region of Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Further east, it can be found in Cyprus, Turkey, and Lebanon.
This fern usually grows in open areas. It likes bare ground or places with very short grass. You often find it on exposed coastal clifftops. However, in the New Forest in Hampshire, England, it grows in damp, tightly grazed grasslands, away from the sea.
In cold places like Iceland and Greenland, this fern only survives in geothermal areas. These spots have warmer temperatures, which help the fern to live. Because of this, the small adder's-tongue fern is on Iceland's list of endangered species.
What the Small Adder's-Tongue Fern Looks Like
The small adder's-tongue fern has a simple structure. It usually has just one leaf, which is called a frond. This leaf blade is pointed and widest in the middle, tapering towards both ends.
From the base of the leaf, a thin, pointed stalk grows upwards. This stalk holds the spore-bearing spike. This spike is where the fern produces its spores, which are like tiny seeds that help the fern reproduce. Each side of the spike has about 4 to 18 small segments. When these segments are ready, they open up to release the spores into the air.
How It's Related to Other Plants
Sometimes, scientists consider this fern a type of Ophioglossum vulgatum. They might call it Ophioglossum vulgatum ssp. ambiguum.
Scientists believe that the small adder's-tongue fern came from a mix of two other fern species. It's thought to be a hybrid of Ophioglossum vulgatum and Ophioglossum lusitanicum.
This fern has a very high number of chromosomes, around 480 (2n=c.480).
