Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium montanum

trianglelobe moonwort, upswept moonwort

mountain moonwort, western goblin
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.

or lobes to 6 pairs, ascending, mostly widely separated, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, extremely variable in outline, linear to cuneate, undivided to tip, margins entire to coarsely dentate, distal pinnae or blade tip cut into 3–5 lobes, apex angular, venation like ribs of fan, midrib absent.
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 0.3–2 cm, 0.2–0.5 times length of rachis;

blade dull, glaucous, gray-green, mostly linear, lobed to 1-pinnate, to 6 × 0.7 cm, somewhat succulent.
Sporophores

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

1-pinnate, 1.5–4.5 times length of sporophore.
2n

=180.

=90.

Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium montanum
Phenology Leaves appearing in late spring to midsummer. Leaves appearing in late spring to late summer.
Habitat In grassy fields, widely scattered Dark coniferous forests, usually near swamps and streams
Elevation 0–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 1000–2000 m (3300–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; MT; NV; OR; WY; BC; ON; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; MT; OR; WA; BC
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[BONAP county 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.)

Botrychium montanum may come to be recognized as a subspecies of the eastern B. mormo, from which it differs in lacking an attached gametophyte and in having a more dissected trophophore apex, glaucous blades, shorter trophophore stalk, earlier seasonal development, and full opening of sporangia when mature. Botrychium montanum and B. mormo differ from B. simplex in being more robust and in having truncate, adnate, lateral lobes on the trophophore blade and dentate to deeply cleft trophophore apex.

(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. Botrychium
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. lunarioides, B. matricariifolium, B. minganense, 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
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 76: 36, figs. 1, 2. (1986) W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 29. (1981)
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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