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Dieren en planten

Ferns   Adder's tongue   

Water en land

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Adder's tongue

size:

leaf: 5-20 centimeters
stalk: maximum 35 centimeters

color:

green

reproduction:

spores ripen in June and July

  • Dut: Addertong
  • Lat: Ophioglossum vulgatum
  • Eng: Adder's Tongue, Southern adderstongue
  • Fren: Ophioglosse vulgaire
  • Ger: Gemeine Natterzunge (Gewöhnliche Natternzunge)
  • Dan: Almindelig Slangetunge
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Adder's tongue, Ecomare

Adder's tongue

Adder's tongue doesn't look much like a fern. It is made up of a single leaf and a stem-like stalk, which carries the spores. The spore-bearing stalk resembles the tongue of a snake, which is where the name comes from. When the stalk is mature, it extends beyond the leaf blade. The stalk is made up of segments, between 10-40 on each side. In some years, no stalk and therefore no spores are formed. Just like mushrooms, the plant itself is underground and often produces a leaf. But years can go by when no leaf is seen.

On Texel


, Sytske Dijksen, www.fotofitis.nl

Adder's tongue is found in several nature areas on the island, such as Walenburg and the Muy. However, you must look very long before you find it, certainly when it's not 'flowering'. It grows on a field in the Muy containing other unusual plants, such as marsh lousewort, autumn gentian and bog pimpernell.

  • Occurence

    Adder's tongue may be found in many areas of the world, such as North America, Europe, East-Asia and southern Australia, it is a very rare plant in the Netherlands. The most important factor to grow is dampness. It is found in damp dunes, mildy nutrient-poor grasslands, weakly brackish soil, field of reed, dune slacks, excavated areas and woods. However, with the exception of various damp dune grasslands, it is seen very sporadically in these areas.

  • Largest number of chromosomes

    All living organisms are made up of cells containing chromosomes. Man has 46. While the average number of chromosomes in most species ranges between 240 and 300, adder's tongue species have between 60 and 1440!