Flora of North America species comparison

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Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium matricariifolium

Paradox moonwort, peculiar moonwort, two-spike moonwort

botryche à feuille de matricaire, chamomile grape-fern, daisy-leaf moonwort, daisyleaf grape-fern, matricary grape-fern
Pinnae

to 7 pairs, somewhat ascending, approximate to slightly remote, 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 adjacent pairs, spatulate-ovate to narrowly ovate, divided to tip, ultimate segments squarish to linear, rounded to square to acute at apex, margins entire to lobed to fully dissected, apex rounded to acute, venation pinnate.
Sporophores

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

1–3-pinnate, 1.3–2.4 times length of trophophore.
Trophophore(s)

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

stalk 0–5 mm, to 1/6 length of trophophore rachis;

blade dull, ± glaucescent green, oblong, 1–3-pinnate, to 10 × 9 cm, firm.
2n

=180.

=180.

Botrychium paradoxum

Botrychium matricariifolium
Phenology Leaves appearing in spring, dying in late summer.
Habitat Sporophores in June to August. Difficult to detect, plants usually hidden under other vegetation, in snowfields, secondary growth pastures Old fields, secondary growth woods
Elevation 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft) 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; UT; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; SPM; Europe
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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.)
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. lanceolatum, B. lunaria, B. lunarioides, 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. lunaria var. matricariifolium
Name authority W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 24. (1981) (Döll) A. Braun ex W. D. J. Koch: Syn. Deut. Schweiz. Fl., ed. 2 7: 1009. (1847)
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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