Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium spathulatum

trianglelobe moonwort, upswept moonwort

botryche à segments spatulés, spathulate botrychium, spatulate moonwort, spoon-shape 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 8 pairs, ascending, remote, 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, mostly narrowly spatulate to linear-spatulate and rounded or ± 2-cleft, lobed to unlobed to tip, margins mainly entire or occasionally irregularly and shallowly incised, apex rounded-notched, 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 0–1 mm;

blade shiny yellow-green, narrowly deltate, flat, 1-pinnate, to 8 × 2.5 cm, thick, leathery.
Sporophores

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

1–2-pinnate, 1.2–2 times length of trophophore.
2n

=180.

=180.

Botrychium ascendens

Botrychium spathulatum
Phenology Leaves appearing in late spring to midsummer. Leaves appearing late spring through summer.
Habitat In grassy fields, widely scattered Sand dunes, old fields, and grassy railroad sidings
Elevation 0–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 0–2000 m (0–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; MT; NV; OR; WY; BC; ON; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; MI; MT; AB; BC; NB; NT; ON; PE; QC; YT
[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 spathulatum has long been confused with the more common B. minganense, with which it often grows in the Lake Superior region. The leaves appear later in B. spathulatum than in B. minganense.

(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. pumicola, B. rugulosum, B. simplex, B. virginianum
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 76: 36, figs. 1, 2. (1986) W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 80: 77. (1990)
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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