Ophioglossum vulgatumEnglish: Adder’s tongue.
Botany:
Ophioglossaceae;
Ophioglossales; Psilotopsida;
Pteridophyta;
Plants.
Genus: 112 species.
Chromosomes: Ophioglossum has the highest chromosome counts of any known plant; Ophioglossum reticulatum has ± 630 pairs of chromosomes.
English: Barometz fern; Golden chicken fern; Woolly fern; Chain Fern; Chain Fern Rhizome, Cibot Rhizome; Cibota; Cibotium; Golden Chicken Fern; Golden Hair Dog Fern; Golden Moss; Golden Lamb; Lamb of Tartary; Scythian Lamb; Tartarian Lamb; Vegetable lamb of Tartary; Wooly Fern.
Synonyms: Aspidium barometz; Dicksonia barometz; Nephrodium barometz; Polypodium barometz.
Clades:
Dicksoniaceae.
Region: Asia, China, southern Japan, northeast India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea.
Habitat: subtropical and tropical; open forest slopes, in disturbed areas; on hillsides, gullie, forests; shady damp; open places in forests, forest margins, valleys, warm humid environments; elevations below 600 metres, occasionally to 1600 metres; not cold-hardy; prefers a humus-rich, acid soil, sheltered light position, with shade from strong sun; in light woodland; requires shelter from winds.
Content: carcinogens so some caution is advisable; thiaminase; caffeic acid; protocatechuic acid; kojic acid; 30% starch; tannins.
Culture: mythical, medieval legend “Vegetable Lamb of Tartary”, a half-sheep, half-plant hybrid.
Ecology: threatened by extensive collection.
Use: ornamental; as substrate material for orchids; folk medicine; traditional Chinese medicine; furry part as a vaginal tampon; hairs for stuffing cushions, packing material; control aphids and spider mites; rhizome starch for making cakes and liquor.
BotanyFern; treelike; 1 to 2 m tall; evergreen; often prostrate, forming colonies of plants; looks like a golden haired dog.
Root: rhizome is very thick, woody, woolly, covered with long soft, golden yellow hairs.
Leaves: in clusters; up to 3 m long.
Sori: marginal on the pinnules.
TaxonomyFormerly
Cibotium barometz was placed in
Dicksoniaceae.