Botrychium Virginianum
Botrypus virginianus, synonym Botrychium virginianum, sometimes called rattlesnake fern is a species of perennial fern in the adders-tongue family.[2] It is monotypic within the genus Botrypus, meaning that it is the only species within the genus. It is called the rattlesnake fern in some parts of North America, due to its habit of growing in places where rattlesnakes are also found.[3][4] Rattlesnake fern prefers to grow in rich, moist woods in dense shade and will not tolerate direct sunlight.
botrychium virginianum
Rattlesnake fern, common grapefern, botryche de virginie Osmunda virginiana Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1064. 1753Trophophore sessile; blade pale green, 3--4-pinnate, to 25 33 cm, thin, herbaceous. Pinnae to 12 pairs, usually approximate to overlapping, slightly ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, lanceolate, divided to tip. Pinnules lanceolate and deeply lobed, lobes linear, serrate, apex pointed, venation pinnate, midrib present. Sporophores 2-pinnate, 0.5--1.5(--2) times length of trophophore. 2 n =184.Leaves seasonal, appearing in early spring and dying in late summer. Common to abundant, especially in shaded forests and shrubby second growth, rare or absent in arid regions; 0--1500 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; all states except Calif.; Mexico; Central America; South America in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru; Eurasia.Botrychium virginianum is the most widespread Botrychium in North America.
One of first ferns to start growth in spring, Botrychium virginianum (Rattlesnake Fern) is a deciduous fern with an erect stalk bearing a single, ascending to arching, sterile, bright green frond, 10 in. long (25 cm), that is broadly triangular and bipinnate to tripinnate. It is divided into ovate to lance-shaped, deeply lobed pinnae. On some ferns, a second fertile leaf is produced on a long stalk that originates from the base of the sterile leaf. Distinctive spherical bright yellow spore cases rise at the conjunction of the leaves. Appearing early in spring, the fronds last through summer, though the fertile portion withers once the spores are released. The root system is fibrous and fleshy, and occasionally produce clonal offsets. Native to Asia, North America and South America, Rattlesnake Fern is found in a wide variety of climates: dry, mesic, and wet forests, coves, and most often in moist bottomlands and slopes with nutrient-rich soils. Rattlesnake Fern requires more care than other ferns and needs adequate soil, water, and protection from insects and winds. It is difficult to cultivate.
The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi colonizing the sporophytes of the eusporangiate rattlesnake fern (Botrychium virginianum, Ophioglossaceae) in its Hungarian population were investigated in the present study. Different regions of the nrRNA gene complex were analyzed using two different primer sets. These produced similar results for the detected AM fungi phylotypes. Several AM fungal lineages were associated with sporophytes of B. virginianum. Phylogenetic analyses of different partial small subunit datasets grouped one lineage into the Gigasporaceae, showing similarities with Scutellospora sequences. In addition to unidentified Scutellospora phylotypes, it is possible that S. gregaria also colonized the fern. Several AM fungal phylotypes colonizing the sporophytes grouped into Glomus group A. They did not form distinct clades but grouped with sequences of AM fungi with different geographic and host origins. One main lineage clustered into the widespread G. fasciculatum/G. intraradices group and one into the subgroup GlGrAc, while others had no affinity to the subgroups of Glomus group A. As AM fungal phylotypes associated with B. virginianum seem to belong to widespread AM fungal taxa and show no specificity to this fern, we suppose that the previously described special anatomy of AM of B. virginianum is determined by the plant.
Formerly known as Botrychium virginianum, Rattlesnake Fern is the most common of the grape ferns in North America, and the largest of those found in Minnesota. The finely dissected leaves may resemble those of some other grape ferns (now Sceptridium species), but Rattlesnake Fern is distinguished by the single sterile leaf (often seeming like a whorl of 3 leaves) attached well above the base of the stem, where other grape fern sterile fronds are attached at or near the base. Rattlesnake Fern leaves also wither away by fall where most grape fern leaves persist through winter.
The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi colonizing the sporophytes of the eusporangiate rattlesnake fern (Botrychium virginianum, Ophioglossaceae) in its Hungarian population were investigated in the present study. Different regions of the nrRNA gene complex were analyzed using two different primer sets. These produced similar results for the detected AM fungi phylotypes. Several AM fungal lineages were associated with sporophytes of B. virginianum. Phylogenetic analyses of different partial small subunit datasets grouped one lineage into the Gigasporaceae, showing similarities with Scutellospora sequences. In addition to unidentified Scutellospora phylotypes, it is possible that S. gregaria also colonized the fern. Several AM fungal phylotypes colonizing the sporophytes grouped into Glomus group A. They did not form distinct clades but grouped with sequences of AM fungi with different geographic and host origins. One main lineage clustered into the widespread G. fasciculatum/G. intraradices group and one into the subgroup GlGrAc, while others had no affinity to the subgroups of Glomus group A. As AM fungal phylotypes associated with B. virginianum seem to belong to widespread AM fungal taxa and show no specificity to this fern, we suppose that the previously described special anatomy of AM of B. virginianum is determined by the plant. 041b061a72