Botrychium paradoxum |
Botrychium multifidum |
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Paradox moonwort, peculiar moonwort, two-spike moonwort |
botryche à feuille couchée, leather grapefern, leathery grapefern |
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Pinnae | to 10 pairs, approximate to remote, horizontal to ascending, distance between 1st and 2d pinnae not or slightly more than between 2d and 3d pairs, divided to tip. |
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Sporophores | double, 2 per leaf, 1-pinnate, 0.5–4 cm. |
2–3-pinnate, 1.2 times length of trophophore. |
Trophophore(s) | converted entirely to second fertile segment, stalk 1/2 length of fertile segment. |
stalk 2–15 cm, 0.3–1.2 times length of trophophore rachis; blade shiny green, plane, ternate, 2–3-pinnate, to 25 × 35 cm, leathery. |
Pinnules | obliquely ovate, rounded, margins usually ± entire to shallowly crenulate, sometimes inconspicuously and shallowly denticulate, apex rounded, venation pinnate. |
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2n | =180. |
=90. |
Botrychium paradoxum |
Botrychium multifidum |
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Phenology | Leaves green over winter, appearing in spring. | |
Habitat | Sporophores in June to August. Difficult to detect, plants usually hidden under other vegetation, in snowfields, secondary growth pastures | Widespread mainly in fields |
Elevation | 1500–3000 m (4900–9800 ft) | 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft) |
Distribution |
MT; UT; AB; BC; SK
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AK; AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; Greenland; Europe; nw Asia |
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 multifidum is rather similar to B. robustum (Ruprecht) L.Underwood of Japan, eastern China, and the former Soviet republics. Specimens identified as B. robustum have been collected on Unalaska Island. (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 | ||
Synonyms | Osmunda multifida, B. californicum, B. coulteri, B. silaifolium | |
Name authority | W. H. Wagner: Amer. Fern J. 71: 24. (1981) | (S. G. Gmelin) Ruprecht: Bemerk. Botrychium 40. (1859) |
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