Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium lunarioides

trianglelobe moonwort, upswept moonwort

prostrate grapefern, winter 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, usually well separated, horizontal, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, 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 0.1–1 cm;

blades usually pale green, plane, 2–3-pinnate, to 8 × 12 cm, often much smaller, fleshy.
Sporophores

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

2-pinnate, 1–2 times length of trophophores.
Pinnules

fan-shaped, margins denticulate, apex rounded, venation like ribs of fan, midrib absent.
2n

=180.

=90.

Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium lunarioides
Phenology Leaves appearing in late spring to midsummer. Leaves appearing in late fall and dying in early spring.
Habitat In grassy fields, widely scattered In open grassy places in prairies, cemeteries, and weedy roadsides
Elevation 0–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 0–250 m (0–800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; MT; NV; OR; WY; BC; ON; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
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.)

The stalk and proximal part of rachis of Botrychium lunarioides contains huge tracheidal idioblasts with annular thickenings, visible in cleared leaves (H.J. Arnott 1960). Another peculiarity of this species is the tendency for the sporophores to remain curled in late fall and early winter and to become erect in February. Botrychium lunarioides is often associated with Schizachyrium scoparius Michaux and Ophioglossum crotalophoroides Walter. The name B. biternatum was misapplied by L.Underwood to B. lunarioides.

(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. Hiemobotrychium
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. jenmanii, B. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, 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 Botrypus lunarioides
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 76: 36, figs. 1, 2. (1986) (Michaux) Swartz: Syn. Fil. 172. (1806)
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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