Abstract
The cosmopolitan fern genus Ophioglossum (Ophioglossaceae) is distributed from low to high altitude plateaux, coastal plains and forest floors of India. This genus has received special attention from pteridologists worldwide since the discovery that Ophioglossum reticulatum possesses the largest number of chromosomes. There are, however, no reported studies of Ophioglossum in Goa, hence the present investigation was undertaken to study the diversity, distribution and conservation status of Ophioglossum in that state. A total of six species were collected from different localities, of which four (O. nudicaule, O. lusitanicum, O. parvifolium, and O. reticulatum) are reported as new distributional records for Goa State. A detailed morpho-taxonomy, illustration and photographs of all collected species are given, along with a key to the species.
Highlights
The state of Goa is located on the western coast of India between Maharashtra and Karnataka states, with a geographical area of 3,702km2. It lies on the coastal plains of the Western Ghats between 14.899–15.799 0N and 3.681–74.336 0E
Pressed specimens were fixed with 4% formalin and affixed to herbarium sheets using synthetic gum (Fevicol)
Ophioglossum costatum and O. gramineum were reported from Goa (Manikam et al 2004; Datar & Lakshminarsimhan 2010)
Summary
The state of Goa is located on the western coast of India between Maharashtra and Karnataka states, with a geographical area of 3,702km. The state of Goa is located on the western coast of India between Maharashtra and Karnataka states, with a geographical area of 3,702km2 It lies on the coastal plains of the Western Ghats between 14.899–15.799 0N and 3.681–74.336 0E. The major rivers are Mandovi and Zuari (Meteorological Centre, Goa 2020), and the climatic features fall under the tropical monsoon climate, making the region generally warm and humid throughout the year. The average rainfall ranges between 2,500–4,500 mm/annum, and highest rainfall is observed during June–August. The average temperature ranges between 16.2°C–36.7°C, with maximum temperature during the month of April–May. The state has a national park (Molem) and six wildlife sanctuaries which covers an area of 755km (Hiremath 2003; Jadhav & Patil 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
