Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium pedunculosum

trianglelobe moonwort, upswept moonwort

stalk moonwort
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, somewhat ascending, approximate to 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, ovate-rhombic to spatulate, lobed to tip, margin entire to irregularly lobed, apex rounded to acute, venation pinnate.
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 8–26 mm, to 1.1 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade dull green, ovate-oblong to deltate-oblong, 1-pinnate, to 4.5 × 2 cm, leathery.
Sporophores

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

1–3-pinnate, 2–4 times length of trophophore.
2n

=180.

=180.

Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium pedunculosum
Phenology Leaves appearing in late spring to midsummer. Leaves appearing in late spring, dying in early fall.
Habitat In grassy fields, widely scattered Brushy secondary-growth habitats along streams and roadsides
Elevation 0–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 300–1000 m (1000–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; MT; NV; OR; WY; BC; ON; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

The common stalk on this species tends to be reddish brown. The presence of extra sporangia on the proximal pinnae is known only in Botrychium pedunculosum and B. ascendens.

Botrychium pedunculosum grows with other moonworts, B. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, B. minganense, and B. pinnatum. It has not been found in association with the rather similar and much more common B. hesperium.

Of conservation concern.

(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. montanum, B. mormo, B. multifidum, B. oneidense, B. pallidum, B. paradoxum, 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. 76: 43, figs. 2, 7. (1986)
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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