Adder's Tongue

This herb can be used in spells and charms to stop gossip and slander or to promote healing. It has also been referred to as Serpent’s Tongue and is often considered sacred to those gods associated with snakes.

History
Ophioglossum (adder's-tongue) is a genus of about 25-30 species of Ophioglossales in the family Ophioglossaceae, with a cosmopolitan but primarily tropical and subtropical distribution. The name Ophioglossum comes from the Greek, and means "snake-tongue".

Adders-tongues are so-called because the spore-bearing stalk is thought to resemble a snake's tongue. Each plant typically sends up a small, undivided leaf blade with netted venation, and the spore stalk forks from the leaf stalk, terminating in sporangia which are partially concealed within a structure with slitted sides. The plant grows from a central, budding, fleshy structure with fleshy, radiating roots. When the leaf blade is present, there is not always a spore stalk present, and the plants do not always send up a leaf, sometimes going for a year to a period of years living only under the soil, nourished by association with soil fungi.

Medicinal Use
American adder’s tongue is a plant. The leaves and fleshy roots (tubers) are used to make medicine. Don’t confuse English adder’s tongue with American adder’s tongue. People typically apply American adder’s tongue as a poultice to treat skin ulcers. A poultice is a cloth containing a warm, moist preparation of the leaves that is applied directly to the skin. When applied directly to the skin, the leaves of American adder’s tongue help soothe and soften the skin.