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Ophioglossaceae
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Ophioglossaceae
Ophioglossaceae, from Ancient Greek ὄφις (óphis), meaning "snake", and γλῶσσα (glôssa), meaning "tongue", also known as the adder's-tongue family, is a small family of ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is the only family in the order Ophioglossales, which together with the Psilotales is placed in the subclass Ophioglossidae. The Ophioglossidae are one of the groups traditionally known as eusporangiate ferns. Members of the family differ from other ferns in a number of ways. Many have only a single fleshy leaf at a time. Their gametophytes are subterranean and rely on fungi for energy.
Members of Ophioglossaceae are usually terrestrial (excepting a few epiphytic species of Ophioglossum) and occur in both temperate and tropical areas. [citation needed]
They differ from the other ferns in several respects:
In addition to having mycoheterotrophic gametophytes, there are a few members of Botrychium that are unique among ferns in having the sporophytes also mycoheterotrophic, producing only small, ephemeral sporophylls that do not photosynthesize. [citation needed]
Botrychium and Helminthostachys are also the only known ferns with secondary growth, even if it is very limited.
The plants have short-lived spores formed in sporangia lacking an annulus, and borne on a stalk that splits from the leaf blade; and fleshy roots. A few species send up fertile spikes only, without any conventional leaf-blade. The spores will not germinate if exposed to sunlight, and the gametophyte can live some two decades without forming a sporophyte. [citation needed]
The genus Ophioglossum has the highest chromosome counts of any known plant. The record holder is Ophioglossum reticulatum, with about 630 pairs of chromosomes (1260 chromosomes per cell). Other measurements have indicated a chromosome number up to 1440 (n = 720). For comparison, humans have 46 chromosomes, consisting of n = 23 pairs.
Ophioglossum malviae from the Western Ghats in India has been characterized as the world's smallest terrestrial pteridophyte with plants typically 1–1.2 cm in size.
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Ophioglossaceae
Ophioglossaceae, from Ancient Greek ὄφις (óphis), meaning "snake", and γλῶσσα (glôssa), meaning "tongue", also known as the adder's-tongue family, is a small family of ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), it is the only family in the order Ophioglossales, which together with the Psilotales is placed in the subclass Ophioglossidae. The Ophioglossidae are one of the groups traditionally known as eusporangiate ferns. Members of the family differ from other ferns in a number of ways. Many have only a single fleshy leaf at a time. Their gametophytes are subterranean and rely on fungi for energy.
Members of Ophioglossaceae are usually terrestrial (excepting a few epiphytic species of Ophioglossum) and occur in both temperate and tropical areas. [citation needed]
They differ from the other ferns in several respects:
In addition to having mycoheterotrophic gametophytes, there are a few members of Botrychium that are unique among ferns in having the sporophytes also mycoheterotrophic, producing only small, ephemeral sporophylls that do not photosynthesize. [citation needed]
Botrychium and Helminthostachys are also the only known ferns with secondary growth, even if it is very limited.
The plants have short-lived spores formed in sporangia lacking an annulus, and borne on a stalk that splits from the leaf blade; and fleshy roots. A few species send up fertile spikes only, without any conventional leaf-blade. The spores will not germinate if exposed to sunlight, and the gametophyte can live some two decades without forming a sporophyte. [citation needed]
The genus Ophioglossum has the highest chromosome counts of any known plant. The record holder is Ophioglossum reticulatum, with about 630 pairs of chromosomes (1260 chromosomes per cell). Other measurements have indicated a chromosome number up to 1440 (n = 720). For comparison, humans have 46 chromosomes, consisting of n = 23 pairs.
Ophioglossum malviae from the Western Ghats in India has been characterized as the world's smallest terrestrial pteridophyte with plants typically 1–1.2 cm in size.
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