| General Information |
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| Distribution | A genus of ca. 41 species, widely distributed throughout the world except for the Arctic and Antarctic areas.
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Habit
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Terrestrial. Rhizomes short, erect or creeping, bearing fleshy roots.
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Leaves
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Fronds 1‒several; sterile blade sessile or petiolate, simple, fleshy, ovate or lanceolate, rachis indistinct; venation reticulate, primary areoles usually enclosing free veinlets and sometimes secondary areoles.
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Sori
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Sporophores simple, undivided; sporangia subglobose or ellipsoid, coalescent into 2 marginal rows.
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Spores
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Spores reticulate, verrucose or pitted, yellow.
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Notes
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The name refers to the fancied resemblance of the fertile spike to a snake’s tongue, Greek ophios, snake, + glossa, tongue.
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Contributor
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David Lorence
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