Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium jenmanii

Paradox moonwort, peculiar moonwort, two-spike moonwort

Alabama grapefern, Dixie grapefern
Pinnae

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.
Sporophores

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

2-pinnate, 1.2–2.5 times length of trophophore.
Trophophore(s)

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

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.
Pinnules

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

=180.

=180.

Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium jenmanii
Phenology Leaves green over winter, arising at variable times during last half of summer, meiosis as late as September.
Habitat Sporophores in June to August. Difficult to detect, plants usually hidden under other vegetation, in snowfields, secondary growth pastures Woods and grassy places
Elevation 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft) 50–500 m (200–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; UT; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TN; VA; West Indies in Greater Antilles
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 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. 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. 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. alabamense
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 24. (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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