Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium pumicola

trianglelobe moonwort, upswept moonwort

Crater Lake grapefern, pumice 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 6 pairs, overlapping, strongly ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, asymmetrically cuneate, basal pinna pair often divided into 2 unequal parts, lobed to tip, margins entire, sinuate to shallowly crenate, apex rounded to truncate, 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 0–10 mm, 0.1–0.5 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade dull, glaucous, whitish green, deltate, 2-pinnate, 4 × 6 cm, thickly leathery.
Sporophores

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

1–3-pinnate, 1–1.5 times length of trophophore.
2n

=180.

=90.

Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium pumicola
Phenology Leaves appearing in late spring to midsummer. Leaves appearing in summer.
Habitat In grassy fields, widely scattered Pumice scree
Elevation 0–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 1900–2500m (6200–8200ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; MT; NV; OR; WY; BC; ON; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR
[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 pumicola is a famous narrow endemic known from only a few colonies on fully exposed pumice scree on the sides of and in the general vicinity of Crater Lake, Klamath and Deschutes counties, Oregon. This plant has a very congested appearance with an extremely compact sporangial cluster and overlapping pinnae. Like most other members of subg. Botrychium, the trophophore is located high on the common stalk, but the common stalk is subterranean, giving the impression that the leaf originates near ground level. Botrychium pumicola has been found growing with B. lanceolatum and B. simplex.

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. pedunculosum, B. pinnatum, B. pseudopinnatum, B. rugulosum, B. simplex, B. spathulatum, B. virginianum
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 76: 36, figs. 1, 2. (1986) Coville: in L. Underwood, Native Ferns ed. 6 69. (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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