Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium lanceolatum

Paradox moonwort, peculiar moonwort, two-spike moonwort

botryche élancé, lance-leaf grapefern, lance-leaf moonwort, red triangle moonwort, triangle moonwort
Pinnae

to 5 pairs, ascending, approximate, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, linear to broadly lanceolate, entire to divided to tip, margins with distinct lobes or segments, apex acute to rounded, venation pinnate.
Sporophores

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

1–3-pinnate, 1–2.5 times length of trophophore, divided into several equally long branches (all other botrychiums have a single stalk or 1 dominant and 2 smaller).
Trophophore(s)

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

stalk 0–1 mm;

blade dull to shiny green to dark green, deltate, 1–2-pinnate, to 6 × 7 cm.
2n

=180.

=90.

Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium lanceolatum
Habitat Sporophores in June to August. Difficult to detect, plants usually hidden under other vegetation, in snowfields, secondary growth pastures
Elevation 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; UT; AB; BC; SK
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CO; CT; ID; KY; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia
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[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.)

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Trophophore blade green to pale yellow-green, broad, coarse, succulent; middle and terminal segments usually more than 2 mm wide exclusive of lobes.
subsp. lanceolatum
1. Trophophore blade dark green, slender, delicate but firm; middle segments usually less than 2 mm wide exclusive of lobes.
subsp. angustisegmentum
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. boreale, B. campestre, B. crenulatum, B. dissectum, B. echo, B. gallicomontanum, B. hesperium, B. jenmanii, 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
Subordinate taxa
B. lanceolatum subsp. angustisegmentum, B. lanceolatum subsp. lanceolatum
Synonyms Osmunda lanceolata
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 24. (1981) (S. G. Gmelin) Angström: Bot. Not. 1854: 68. (1854)
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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