# southern adder's-tongue (*Ophioglossum vulgatum*)

The southern adder's-tongue is a unique fern with long, slender leaves that look like a tongue! It grows in damp places and can be found in forests and meadows.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Forests

![southern adder's-tongue](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ophioglossum_vulgatum_Saarland_01.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Orchi, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ophioglossum_vulgatum_Saarland_01.jpg)

## Appearance

The southern adder's-tongue is a small, usually solitary fern with a smooth, oval-shaped sterile leaf blade. From its base emerges a distinct, slender fertile stalk topped with spore-bearing segments, resembling a tiny green snake's tongue. It's often found hidden among grasses.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Polypodiopsida
- **Order:** Ophioglossales
- **Family:** Ophioglossaceae
- **Genus:** Ophioglossum

## Interesting facts

- It's sometimes called "moonwort" in some regions, due to its rounded leaf shape!
- Its name comes from its fertile spike, looking just like a snake's flickering tongue!
- People once used this fern in traditional medicine to make healing salves for wounds!
- This ancient plant is considered one of the oldest types of ferns on Earth!

## Special abilities

- **Spores for Spreading:** southern adder's-tongue can release tiny spores, not seeds, that float away to grow new plants.
- **Hidden Life:** southern adder's-tongue can spend years hidden underground as a root, emerging only when conditions are perfect.
- **Chromosome Champion:** southern adder's-tongue has an astonishingly high number of chromosomes, more than most other living things!

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 5-10 cm
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** European black slug (*Arion ater*) — Slugs may graze on its leaves.
- **Eaten by:** [white-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — White-tailed deer can browse its foliage.
- **Symbiotic with:** mycorrhizal fungus (*Rhizophagus irregularis*) — Forms beneficial partnership for nutrients.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch wild plants, as some can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify southern adder's-tongue?

Compare frond shape, how the leaflets are arranged, the stalk, and any spore clusters you can see. A single detached leaflet often hides the plant's overall growth pattern. Fern Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is southern adder's-tongue?

10-30 cm

### How wide does southern adder's-tongue spread?

5-10 cm

### Is southern adder's-tongue edible?

Yes

### Is southern adder's-tongue toxic?

None

### What is southern adder's-tongue's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is southern adder's-tongue usually found?

Forests

## Where to spot

- [Hanover County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hanover-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Southern Adder's-tongue: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/southern-adders-tongue)