Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium multifidum

Botrychium acuminatum

botryche à feuille couchée, leather grapefern, leathery grapefern

point moonwort, tail grapefern
Pinnae

to 10 pairs, approximate to remote, horizontal to ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, divided to tip.

to 6 pairs, spreading to ascending, mostly separated by pinna width, 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 next adjacent pair, narrowly oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, simple to irregularly divided to tip, margins commonly ± entire and with 1–several shallow and irregular lobes, apex acuminate, venation pinnate.
Trophophore

stalk 2–15 cm, 0.3–1.2 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade shiny green, plane, ternate, 2–3-pinnate, to 25 × 35 cm, leathery.

stalk 0–20 mm, 0.1–0.5 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade dull, glaucescent, ovate-oblong, 1-pinnate, to 6 × 5 cm, firm.
Pinnules

obliquely ovate, rounded, margins usually ± entire to shallowly crenulate, sometimes inconspicuously and shallowly denticulate, apex rounded, venation pinnate.

Sporophores

2–3-pinnate, 1.2 times length of trophophore.

1–2-pinnate, 1.4–2 times length of trophophore.
2n

=90.

=180.

Botrychium multifidum

Botrychium acuminatum
Phenology Leaves green over winter, appearing in spring. Leaves appearing in midspring, dying in fall.
Habitat Widespread mainly in fields Lake Superior region in sand dunes in shade, old fields, grassy railroad sidings, and roadside ditches
Elevation 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft) 200–500 m (700–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; Greenland; Europe; nw Asia
from FNA
MI; ON
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Botrychium multifidum is rather similar to B. robustum (Ruprecht) L.Underwood of Japan, eastern China, and the former Soviet republics. Specimens identified as B. robustum have been collected on Unalaska Island.

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

Botrychium acuminatum grows with various other moonworts, particularly its nearest relatives, B. hesperium and B. matricariifolium.

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. Sceptridium > sect. Sceptridium Ophioglossaceae > Botrychium > subg. Botrychium
Sibling taxa
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. oneidense, B. pallidum, B. paradoxum, B. pedunculosum, B. pinnatum, B. pseudopinnatum, B. pumicola, B. rugulosum, B. simplex, B. spathulatum, B. virginianum
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. spathulatum, B. virginianum
Synonyms Osmunda multifida, B. californicum, B. coulteri, B. silaifolium
Name authority (S. G. Gmelin) Ruprecht: Bemerk. Botrychium 40. (1859) W. H. Wagner: Contr. Univ. Michigan Herb. 17: 321. (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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