Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium boreale

Paradox moonwort, peculiar moonwort, two-spike moonwort

northern moonwort
Pinnae

to 6 pairs, ascending, mostly overlapping, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae only slightly greater than between 2d and 3d pairs, basal pinna pair usually considerably larger than adjacent pair, obliquely rhomboidal to oblanceolate-spatulate, mostly shallowly lobed to rarely pinnate, margins entire to very narrowly shallowly crenulate, apex pointed, venation pinnate only at bases of proximal pinnae, otherwise ± like ribs of fan.
Sporophores

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

1–2-pinnate, 1–1.5 times length of trophophore.
Trophophore(s)

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

stalk sessile or nearly so;

blade shiny green, ovate-deltate, 1–2-pinnate, to 6 cm, fleshy.
2n

=180.

Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium boreale
Phenology Leaves appearing in July and August.
Habitat Sporophores in June to August. Difficult to detect, plants usually hidden under other vegetation, in snowfields, secondary growth pastures Dry meadows, south-facing slopes
Elevation 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft) 200–600 m (700–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; UT; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
Greenland
[BONAP county map]
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.)

This well-marked northern Eurasian species is best known in Scandinavia, where it occurs most commonly with Botrychium lunaria, with which it occasionally hybridizes.

(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. 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. biternatum, 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
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 24. (1981) J. Milde: Bot. Zeitung 15(51): 880. (1857)
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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