Taxon Report

Ophioglossum californicum Prantl

California adder's-tongue

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Ophioglossum californicum, commonly known as California adder's-tongue, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Ophioglossaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, Valley and foothill grassland, and Vernal pools (margins), growing at elevations from 60 to 525 meters. Ophioglossum californicum is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Ophioglossum californicum Prantl
Common Name:	California adder's-tongue
Family:	Ophioglossaceae
Element Code:	PPOPH020G0
USDA Plants Symbol:	OPCA8
Synonyms/Other Names:	Ophioglossum lusitanicum L. ssp. californicum (Prantl) Clausen

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jan-Jun(Dec)	Jan-Jun(Dec)
Elevation:	60-525 (195-1725)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Valley and foothill grassland, Vernal pools
Microhabitat:	Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Global Rank:	G4
State Rank:	S4
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX), Monterey (MNT), San Diego (SDG), Santa Barbara (SBA)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Barrett Lake (3211666), Del Mar (3211782), Dulzura (3211667), Encinitas (3311713), Escondido (3311711), Jamul Mountains (3211668), La Jolla (3211772), La Mesa (3211771), Lompoc (3412064), Otay Mesa (3211658), Otay Mountain (3211657), Point Loma (3211762), Poway (3211781), San Luis Rey (3311723), San Pasqual (3311618), San Vicente Reservoir (3211688), Santa Catalina North (3311844), Seaside (3612157)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	0 %

Notes




Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 January 2025].