FARRAR, DONALD R.* AND FLORENCE S. WAGNER. Department of Botany, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011; Department of Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. - An overview of the Ophioglossaceae.
Are Ophioglossaceae really derived from coenopterid ferns? What is
their relationship to other ferns? What is the origin of their
morphological peculiarities? To what extent is morphology related to
habitat and mycorrhizal associations? These questions have perplexed
pteridologists for over a century of study of this enigmatic group of
plants. In this presentation we introduce aspects of morphology,
growth habit, and ecology that give rise to these questions. We also
present overviews of the group's taxonomy, cytology, and
phytogeography to set the stage for detailed presentations that
follow. These studies illuminate the unique contributions of the
Ophioglossaceae to the study of pteridophyte evolution and
conservation.
Key words: Botrychium, Ophioglossaceae, Ophioglossum