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Eastern Adriatic distribution of Ophioglossum lusitanicum L. (Ophioglossaceae) – ongoing recent discoveries of a long forgotten fern

Ophioglossum lusitanicum L. is a small, inconspicuous fern, with aboveground parts occurring during late autumn to spring. The plants are tiny and green, hardly distinguishable from the surrounding vegetation, therefore easily overlooked and neglected in the field. Several historical findings from the Eastern Adriatic coast dating from the 19th century were followed by almost a hundred years without records, and consequently, the species was considered regionally extinct for decades. More recently, detailed field surveys revealed the existence of over 20 populations in southern Istria and contributed to the inclusion of the species into the Croatian Red book as a critically endangered taxon. Interestingly, historical findings from southern Dalmatia (Hvar archipelago) were never confirmed since the mid-19th century. After the last published data, during the years 2015-2019, we have discovered new populations of O. lusitanicum in southern Istria, however, the species was also found for the first time on the southern Dalmatian islands Korčula, Mljet and Lastovo. All recently found populations were recorded in a dynamic environment, i.e. early successional stages of disturbed habitats. We presume that the species is distributed even widely, but generally overlooked due to its indistinctive appearance and early time of emergence.

neglected fern, new localities, Dalmatia

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