Abstract:
The eusporangiate fern Ophioglossum brings some uncertainty among taxonomists while identifying the species. Therefore, a combined approach by
considering the spore morphology and other morphological characters is
more authentic for delimiting species of this genus. This study documented
and compared the spore morphology of O. costatum, O. gramineum, O. lusitanicum, O. lusoafricanum, O. parvifolium, O. pendulum, O. petiolatum, O.
raphaelianum, O. reticulatum, and O. rubellum collected from Kerala, India
by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. SEM images of the spores
for each species were provided, the P/E ratio was calculated, and the size
classes of the spores were determined here. The occurance of O. lusitanicum
in India was confirmed, and O. madhusoodhananii was synonymised under
O. costatum.
