Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium hesperium

Botrychium jenmanii

western moonwort

Alabama grapefern, Dixie grapefern
Pinnae

to 6 pairs, ascending, usually approximate or overlapping except in shade forms, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, basal pinna pair commonly much larger and more divided than adjacent pair, lobed to tip, basal pair oblong to oblong-lanceolate with lobed margins, remainder broadly spatulate with entire margins or 1 or more shallow lobes, apex rounded, venation pinnate.

to 5 pairs, well separated, slightly descending to ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs;

basal pinnae remotely alternate and long-stalked (basal pinnae in all other botrychiums are opposite to subopposite and short-stalked), divided to tip.
Trophophore

stalk 0–3(–10) mm, to 1/4 length of trophophore rachis;

blade ± gray-green, dull, oblong-linear to deltate, 1–2-pinnate, to 6 × 5 cm, firm.

stalk 2–15 cm, 0.8–1.2 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade somewhat dull gray-green, plane, 3-pinnate, to 18 × 26 cm, herbaceous.
Sporophores

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

2-pinnate, 1.2–2.5 times length of trophophore.
Pinnules

ovate to fan-shaped, margins uniformly denticulate, apex rounded, venation like ribs of fan with short midrib.
2n

=180.

=180.

Botrychium hesperium

Botrychium jenmanii
Phenology Leaves appearing in midspring, dying in early fall. Leaves green over winter, arising at variable times during last half of summer, meiosis as late as September.
Habitat Grassy mountain slopes, snow fields, road ditches with willows, and sand dunes Woods and grassy places
Elevation 200–2800 m (700–9200 ft) 50–500 m (200–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; MI; MT; UT; WY; AB; BC; ON; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TN; VA; West Indies in Greater Antilles
Discussion

In the Rocky Mountains Botrychium hesperium grows often with B. echo, and in the Lake Superior region, with B. acuminatum and B. matricariifolium.

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

Botrychium jenmanii occurs in a variety of habitats. In hardwoods and especially pine woods, it is associated with B. biternatum; in open grassy places and lawns it is found with B. lunarioides. In many ways, B. jenmanii is intermediate between B. biternatum and B. lunarioides, and it is possibly their allopolyploid derivative (W. H. Wagner Jr. 1968). It is the only tetraploid among New World members of subg. Sceptidrium.

(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. Sceptridium > sect. Sceptridium
Sibling taxa
B. acuminatum, B. ascendens, B. biternatum, B. boreale, B. campestre, B. crenulatum, B. dissectum, B. echo, B. gallicomontanum, 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. 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
Synonyms B. matricariifolium subsp. hesperium B. alabamense
Name authority (Maxon & R. T. Clausen) W. H. Wagner & Lellinger: Amer. Fern J. 71: 92. (1981) L. Underwood: Fern Bull. 8: 59. (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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