Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium crenulatum

Botrychium mormo

crenulate moonwort, dainty moonwort, scalloped moonwort

little goblin, little goblin moonwort
Pinnae

to 5 pairs, spreading, 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, broadly fan-shaped, undivided to tip, margins mainly crenulate to dentate, proximal pinnae with 1 or more shallow incisions, apex rounded, apical lobe linear to linear-cuneate, well separated from adjacent lobes, venation like ribs of fan, midrib absent.

or lobes to 3 pairs, ascending, mostly widely separated, usually fused together in distal half of trophophore, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, extremely variable in outline, linear to fan-shaped, undivided to tip, margins entire to coarsely dentate, proximal pinnae or blade tip not dentate or with 2–3 shallow, broad teeth, apex angular, venation like ribs of fan, midrib absent.
Trophophore

stalk 0.5–7 mm;

blade yellow-green, oblong, 1-pinnate, to 6 × 2 cm, thin, herbaceous.

stalk 0.2–2.5 cm, usually 0.3–0.6 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade yellow-green to green, shiny, linear to linear-spatulate, lobed (rarely 1-pinnate), to 5 × 1 cm, very succulent.
Sporophores

1–2-pinnate, 1.3–3 times length of trophophore.

1-pinnate, 0.2–3 cm, 0.2–3.5 times length of trophophore.
2n

=90.

=90.

Botrychium crenulatum

Botrychium mormo
Phenology Leaves appearing in mid to late spring, dying in late summer; in extremely dry years of shorter duration or not appearing at all. Leaves appearing in late spring to fall.
Habitat Local in marshy and springy areas Extremely sporadic, in rich northern basswood, beech, sugar maple forest
Elevation 1200–2500 m (3900–8200 ft) 300–600 m (1000–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MI; MN; WI
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Botrychium crenulatum is commonly associated with B. simplex in California. In the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon it occurs with B. ascendens, B. lunaria, and B. minganense.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The highly seasonal appearance of Botrychium mormo is more like a fungus carpophore than a moonwort. In wet years both mature and juvenile plants are fairly easy to find in known localities; in dry years they do not appear aboveground. Botrychium mormo may be eaten and dispersed by animals. The succulent nature of the whole plant may make it attractive to herbivores, and because the sporangia do not open, passage through animal digestive tracts may be required to facilitate the release of the spores. Another unusual feature of B. mormo is the tendency for gametophytes to persist on mature sporophytes.

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. ascendens, B. biternatum, B. boreale, B. campestre, 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. 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. 71: 21. (1981) W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 26. (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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