Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium biternatum

Paradox moonwort, peculiar moonwort, two-spike moonwort

southern grapefern, sparse-lobed grapefern, sparselobe grapefern
Pinnae

to 7 pairs, usually remote, horizontal, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, undivided except in proximal 2/3–1/2.
Sporophores

double, 2 per leaf, 1-pinnate, 0.5–4 cm.

1–2-pinnate, 2–3 times length of trophophore.
Trophophore(s)

converted entirely to second fertile segment, stalk 1/2 length of fertile segment.

stalk 4–20 cm, 2–2.5 times length of trophophore rachis;

blade green to dark green, plane, 2–3-pinnate, to 18 × 28 cm, herbaceous.
Pinnules

elongate, obliquely lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, margins nearly parallel and finely denticulate, apex short-acuminate, venation pinnate.
2n

=180.

=90.

Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium biternatum
Phenology Leaves green over winter, sporophores seasonal, new leaves appearing in late spring–early summer.
Habitat Sporophores in June to August. Difficult to detect, plants usually hidden under other vegetation, in snowfields, secondary growth pastures Frequent in low woods and brushy fields
Elevation 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft) 0–600 m (0–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; UT; AB; BC; SK
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
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Discussion

The leaf structure of Botrychium paradoxum is uniform and unique. Very rare teratological individuals of other moonwort species may have trophophores partially or wholly transformed into sporophores.

Botrychium × watertonense W.H. Wagner, known only from one locality in western Alberta, is the sterile hybrid of B. hesperium and B. paradoxum. It can be identified by its trophophore pinnae; all are bordered with sporangia. It may reproduce by some unknown mechanism, such as unreduced spores (W.H. Wagner Jr., F. S. Wagner, et al. 1984).

Of conservation concern.

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

Botrychium biternatum often grows with B. dissectum and B. jenmanii. The name B. biternatum was misapplied by L.Underwood to B. lunarioides (W.H. Wagner Jr. 1961).

(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. hesperium, B. jenmanii, B. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, B. lunarioides, B. matricariifolium, B. minganense, B. montanum, B. mormo, B. multifidum, B. oneidense, B. pallidum, B. pedunculosum, B. pinnatum, B. pseudopinnatum, B. pumicola, B. rugulosum, B. simplex, B. spathulatum, B. virginianum
B. acuminatum, B. ascendens, 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 biternata, B. dissectum var. tenuifolium, B. tenuifolium
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 24. (1981) (Savigny) L. Underwood: Bot. Gaz. 22: 407. (1896)
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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