Ophioglossaceae, , Kessler & Smith, 2017

Kessler, Michael, Smith, Alan R., Øllgaard, Benjamin, Matos, Fernando B. & Moran, Robbin C., 2023, Prodromus of a fern flora of Bolivia. XLII. Update I., Phytotaxa 630 (3), pp. 183-210 : 192

Ophioglossaceae

In their treatment of Bolivian Ophioglossaceae, Kessler & Smith (2017b) treated seven species in four genera, with Ophioglossum containing four species, including O. crotalophoroides . More recently, Zhang & Zhang (2022), based on a combination of molecular and morphological data, have proposed to split Ophioglossum into four genera including three new ones: Goswamia , Haukia , and Whittieria . Zhang and Zhang (2022) justified the separation of the new genera based on molecular divergence that is higher than among other genera currently recognized in the family, an early divergence age of over 100 Ma, and morphological distinctness. If accepted, O. crotalophoroides would belong to genus Haukia, However , the four genera together form a monophyletic clade, so that maintenance of Ophioglossum in a broader sense is also tenable. Further, some of the traits used to characterize the genera, such as preferences for certain soil types, or the spore germination time, appear weak to us. The segregation of the new genera has not yet been widely accepted (e.g., not by Hassler 2004 –2023), and we prefer to maintain the four Bolivian species in Ophioglossum for the time being.