Adder's-tongue (Family Ophioglossaceae)

Ophioglossaceae, the Adder's-tongue Family, is a family of ferns, current-

ly thought to be most closely related to Psilotaceae, the two together com-

prising Class Psilotopsida as the sibling group to the rest of the ferns. The Ophioglossaceae is one of two groups of ferns traditionally known as eusporangiate ferns. The number of genera included in the family varies

between different authors' treatments, and most conservatively the family

is treated as containing four genera, Ophioglossum, Botrychium, Helminthostachys, and Mankyua (placed in two to four separate families

in other treatments).

Members of Ophioglossaceae are usually terrestrial (excepting a few epi-

phytic species of Ophioglossum) and occur in both temperate and tropical

areas.

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