IDENTITY RECORD

Ophioglossum vulgatum

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Ophioglossum vulgatum

DescrIption

I measure 10-30 cm tall. I am a small fern, hard to spot and very different from my fern cousins that are typically much larger. I’m also called Adder’s-tongue because of my long, slender stalk.

Like the Dianthus superbus or the Siberian iris, my species is threatened by the disappearance of wet meadows.

Where and when can you find me in the reserve ?

• I prefer sunny or slightly shady sites. You can generally find me growing on wet meadows and in clear woods.
• I only produce two leaves, which are called fronds when referring to ferns. One is shaped like a leaf while the second is a tall spike that bears the spores protruding from it.
• I grow from May to July and because I’m a fern I do not produce any flowers. My reproductive organs are called spores and are grouped at the end of my stalk.

What other species might you mistake me for ?

• When my stalk is not fully grown, you might confuse me with other small leafed plants.

Conservation status

• Red list of vascular plants in metropolitan France: Least Concern (LC).
• Red list of endangered vascular plants in Alsace: Vulnerable (VU).
• Protected in Alsace.

Remember that picking flowers and plants is prohibited in the nature reserves.