Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium jenmanii

trianglelobe moonwort, upswept moonwort

Alabama grapefern, Dixie grapefern
Pinnae

to 5 pairs, strongly ascending, well separated, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, basal pinna pair approximately equal in size and cutting to adjacent pair, obliquely narrowly cuneate, undivided to tip, margins sharply denticulate and often shallowly incised, apex rounded, venation like ribs of fan, midrib absent.

to 5 pairs, well separated, slightly descending to ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs;

basal pinnae remotely alternate and long-stalked (basal pinnae in all other botrychiums are opposite to subopposite and short-stalked), divided to tip.
Trophophore

stalk 3–10 mm, 1/6 length of trophophore rachis;

blade yellow-green, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 1-pinnate, to 6 × 1.5 cm, thin but firm.

stalk 2–15 cm, 0.8–1.2 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade somewhat dull gray-green, plane, 3-pinnate, to 18 × 26 cm, herbaceous.
Sporophores

2-pinnate at base of sporangial cluster, 1.3–2 times length of trophophore.

2-pinnate, 1.2–2.5 times length of trophophore.
Pinnules

ovate to fan-shaped, margins uniformly denticulate, apex rounded, venation like ribs of fan with short midrib.
2n

=180.

=180.

Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium jenmanii
Phenology Leaves appearing in late spring to midsummer. Leaves green over winter, arising at variable times during last half of summer, meiosis as late as September.
Habitat In grassy fields, widely scattered Woods and grassy places
Elevation 0–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 50–500 m (200–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; MT; NV; OR; WY; BC; ON; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TN; VA; West Indies in Greater Antilles
Discussion

Botrychium ascendens is a distinctive little moonwort that grows with B. crenulatum, B. lunaria, and B. minganense. This species and B. pedunculosum are the only grapeferns that often have extra sporangia on the proximal pinnae.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Botrychium jenmanii occurs in a variety of habitats. In hardwoods and especially pine woods, it is associated with B. biternatum; in open grassy places and lawns it is found with B. lunarioides. In many ways, B. jenmanii is intermediate between B. biternatum and B. lunarioides, and it is possibly their allopolyploid derivative (W. H. Wagner Jr. 1968). It is the only tetraploid among New World members of subg. Sceptidrium.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 2. FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Ophioglossaceae > Botrychium > subg. Botrychium Ophioglossaceae > Botrychium > subg. Sceptridium > sect. Sceptridium
Sibling taxa
B. acuminatum, B. biternatum, B. boreale, B. campestre, B. crenulatum, B. dissectum, B. echo, B. gallicomontanum, B. hesperium, B. jenmanii, B. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, B. lunarioides, B. matricariifolium, B. minganense, B. montanum, B. mormo, B. multifidum, B. oneidense, B. pallidum, B. paradoxum, B. pedunculosum, B. pinnatum, B. pseudopinnatum, B. pumicola, B. rugulosum, B. simplex, B. spathulatum, B. virginianum
B. acuminatum, B. ascendens, B. biternatum, B. boreale, B. campestre, B. crenulatum, B. dissectum, B. echo, B. gallicomontanum, B. hesperium, B. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, B. lunarioides, B. matricariifolium, B. minganense, B. montanum, B. mormo, B. multifidum, B. oneidense, B. pallidum, B. paradoxum, B. pedunculosum, B. pinnatum, B. pseudopinnatum, B. pumicola, B. rugulosum, B. simplex, B. spathulatum, B. virginianum
Synonyms B. alabamense
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 76: 36, figs. 1, 2. (1986) L. Underwood: Fern Bull. 8: 59. (1900)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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